My hobby … photography
I have always enjoyed taking photographs but didn’t always have success with the outcome. In the days of film the results were often far from perfect because the film cartridge got stuck or it was over-exposed, but I do have boxes and boxes of photographs.
A couple of years ago we switched to a digital camera – a Kodak Easyshare. This camera was really the answer to my prayer. On this I could see what I had taken and could delete ‘mistakes’. I had this for a year and then bought an Olympus X43. Both of these are compact, pocket-sized cameras and they went everywhere with me.
My friend Sheila and I have lots of days out exploring our local area, or travelling farther afield on day trips by coach. My camera is out at every opportunity. In November 2010 my parents, my sister, her partner, his sister and my husband and I went on holiday to Tunisia. It was the first holiday that my sister and I had been on with our parents since we were living at home. The holiday was to celebrate my mum’s 65th birthday and my dad’s 70th. A couple of days into the holiday my mum was taken ill with pneumonia and spent 5 days in a clinic.
We took turns visiting mum and at other times explored the area. I took lots of photographs and on our return I wanted to get some printed – there is nothing worse than having lots of images in your camera and not looking at them again!! As mum missed out on a lot of the holiday I thought to get some printed for her and also for my sister. The more I got printed the less it cost, so to make the number up to 200 I picked random images already in the camera. When they were printed out I could not believe how lovely they looked – at least to my eye. Not too long after I saw a flyer for the annual Wirral Spring/Summer Art and Photographic Exhibition and decided to enter two. Imagine my surprise when one was chosen. This was on display at the Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead (2011)
I then decided to upgrade to a bridge camera – a Fujifilm Finepix S and took many more photographs and since then I have entered several competitions. I have had photographs on display at the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool and a local theatre – the Floral Pavilion New Brighton. I entered a competition run by Liverpool City Council called ‘Peoples Park and Photography’. Imagine my surprise when I received an e-mail to say one of the entries I submitted, although it didn’t win, was going to feature in a calendar to go on general sale. Not only that – it was going to be featured in a display at Tate Liverpool!! How amazing is that?
An enthusiastic amateur would be how I would view myself and appreciate constructive criticism. My camera goes everywhere with me and I came across this quote which sums it up for me – I am paraphrasing “Photography classes should be made compulsory in schools. Photography helps you see the world rather than just look at it” I don’t remember where I saw the quote so I can’t give it just credits, but it is a marvellous quote and such a fabulous attitude.
I am currently in possession of 5 cameras. My latest acquisition is a DSLR Canon D5100. I get many of my photographs printed and either make my own calendars and cards or use websites to create them, so they look more professional. My ambition in life is to have enough money to travel the world taking fabulous, and not so fabulous, photographs. I would have to win the Lotto to achieve that aim but at the moment I am living my dream to a much, much smaller extent!
Written by: Jacki Wright
Jacki Wright
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- My hobby … photography - December 27, 2012
