Notes from behind the camera
Stories
I am still learning. These are a few notes about what I have noticed, what has gone wrong and what I want to try next.
Where it begins
Every journey has to start somewhere
I did not begin photography with a grand plan. I simply started taking a camera with me and paying a bit more attention. Once I did, ordinary places began to look different.
I am still working out what I like and how I want to photograph it. That is part of the enjoyment. A picture that does not work can teach me as much as one I am pleased with. The important thing is to keep looking, keep trying and not make the equipment more important than the moment.
Trying monochrome
When colour gets in the way
I usually notice colour first, but sometimes it is doing too much. Taking it away can reveal the shape of a road, the weight of a cloud or the pattern of light across a building.
Black and white is not a rescue plan for a weak photograph. I am learning that it works best when the lines, light and subject are already strong enough to stand on their own.
Out and about
The colours of Crete
Crete gives you plenty to look at: blue water, pale stone, bright shutters and very hard sunlight. The challenge is not finding a photograph. It is slowing down enough to decide which one matters.
My favourite pictures from the trip were often simple. A doorway, a bell, a narrow passage or a chair facing the sea. They are small reminders of being there, which is exactly what I want them to be.
