It started with a click
And then another and another and another and before I knew it my first spool was used and I was begging for more, an expensive hobby for a little girl and the anticipation of waiting on those photos coming back would be too much to bear now.
We live in a world that is now only ever a click away, take it beyond three clicks and you are in danger of losing your audience for good. And yet back when I received my very first camera patience was the name of the game. You could and probably would wait at least two weeks to receive your developed spool while crossing your fingers that most of the images had worked. Even then I had to wait until I was given the money before I could take the spool to the chemist (yes the chemist - a bottle of aspirin, a wee antibiotic and your holiday photos all in one bag).
For this reason photography became out of reach for me while I was growing up, I wasn't poor but I did have to make choices, dance or take photos, party or take photos, go to college and learn photography while skinning yourself for film you knew you would ruin or go to college and party.
I chose to party and party hard but the longing remained and I always had a camera by my side. The world of digital has allowed more people to take part and its broken down those barriers and yet I understand that those who have sacrificed everything and learned through film are a bit unimpressed by the flooding of the market, but every market is flooded. I can easily trip up over hairdressers, barbers, nail technicians and delis but here's the thing - there's a lot of people out there needing and wanting all of the above and when they look good they want their photo taken too.
There is room for all of us and like any hairdresser or nail technician its who you gel with and who responds to you that matters.
We can all take photos much easier now and filters and new technology make it easier but its not the technology that takes the photo, its you! It doesn't matter what make of camera you have (I'm Nikon if that really does matter to you) its what you see through that lens that matters and sometimes an image presents itself to you and you know you have to reach for whatever instrument you have on you, mobile, compact or DSLR - it really doesn't matter.
A few years ago I paid a visit to Merchant City Cameras in town and my mum and dad came with me. As I was leaving the shop I turned to see both of them walking in unison, balance equally at each side by their walking sticks and I became obsessed. I had to catch that moment and I wanted it as both sticks hit the ground at the same time, no idea why that was so important to me but they were always so in sync that it must've been a subconscious decision to go that way.
Today that photograph alone is the one that stands out the most in my portfolio. It hangs beside Billy Connolly in my studio and people ask about that more than any other photo in there.
To that end I'm glad that I begged for a camera and tormented them for spools and for money to develop the photos, because that reborn passion allowed to me take an image that means so much to me and many others.
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