Serial No: 3844422
The Pentax Spotmatic from the 1960s that started it all. It was an unexpected gift from my father and something that I didn't fully appreciate at the time. Several rolls of film were ruined in an effort to understand the craft of photography and I was unable to wrap my head around text book definitions or the advice of fellow photographers. From time to time I turned my back on
that camera, but from time to time I would pick it up again and delve a bit deeper. Most of what I learned in the early stages was the fruition of self-exploration. Because of that I'd make a terrible teacher, but I was hooked. The sound of the shutter, the feeling of the film advance, the smell of undeveloped negatives, the visual appeal of developed positives. From the start I was drawn to architecture and landscape work, mostly due to comfort levels as I was always able to return to a static object or location in an effort to take advantage of perfect lighting conditions or compostion. When asked to document a friend's wedding I foolishly agreed, failing to let them know that I'd never attended a wedding or photographed a large group of people. I had no idea what a set of wedding photos should look like or what the expectations would be. Despite the uncertainty I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, buoyed by the never-ending flurry of activity and incredible mix of emotion. I was hooked. I could no longer return to a particular location in search of perfect lighting conditions or favourable composition. I had to live in the moment and be part of a narrative. Photography is a powerful medium. A single photograph can capture an immediate moment which in turn can lead to a chain of memories and respective emotions - some of which might not even be related to the moment captured. A wedding day is full of these moments, both large and small. It can start with introductions and end with reminiscence and the creation of a story. I take great joy in not stepping back, but stepping forward and capturing as much of that as I can. Since my early forays in wedding photography I've branched out into other areas - family portraiture, newborn photography, commerical photography, etc. My only goal at this point is to continue exploring, guided by the enjoyment that the results provide. SP 3844422 has a lot of life left in it. There is much to capture. Smile. Repeat.
