| Wilder Mind |

As I said in my previous post, I'm pretty keen on photography. I don't think I'll ever be good enough to become a 'pro' and do it for a living, but I've always liked just going out and taking photos. And by photos I don't really mean happy snaps, I try for something more on the arty kind of side, shots that mean something. That's not to say happy snaps don't mean anything, I just mean shots that (theoretically) take more time to compose, shots that require you to think about how you take it and what meaning or story you want the picture to give across, if that makes any sense.

I've created a Flickr account (link at the bottom of this post) to upload some of my better shots (seeing as Facebook resizes pictures to a ridiculously small size). Flickr does too a bit, but nowhere near as much as Facebook does. I tend to lean away from people or man-made subject shots, and lean to more natural subject matter, such as landscapes, animals and even some more abstract type compositions. I like black & white photography as well, something about its apparent simplicity and stripped down nature makes the shot seem to say more than it would if the exact same image were in colour. I'm still trying to find my 'style' and at the moment I'm just enjoying experimenting with different types.




I'll post some pics here from what I've taken. Some of what I think are my better ones.

One of my first shots, some weird thing on a cement pillar which used to support our old patio roof.

Just across from my house. Looks like a forest, which is why I took the shot, when in reality it's just a few trees. The mist gave it the effect of being so much denser than it really is.

One of my first 'set-up' shots, when I actually posed the subject matter for a particular shot.

At Stonehenge. Looks much more striking in black and white.

Windsor Castle I think, or the road that leads up to it. Right behind me is a massive gate entrance.

Another set-up shot, converted to black and white and then using Photoshop CS5's History Brush tool to get back some of the colour.

That being said, even with the photos on my Flickr page (there's maybe 20 odd), a LOT of what I've taken is at best, average. A lot of the time, when I upload the pictures to my pc at home, the shot hasn't turned out like I'd hoped. Whether it be to incorrect focus, white-balance or general composition. I'm still learning, and I'm enjoying the challenge and rewards it brings. And as Henri Cartier-Bresson (I think) said; "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst". Guess that only leaves me 8,000 odd til I get good. Bring it.


My Flickr Photostream.