It had its rewards and there was a lot of satisfaction in achieving great results but it was increasingly mind numbingly boring as the years rolled by and did not provide for the creative outlet I longed for, and which I believe we all have. I found some welcome distraction in completing and graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2010 with a major in Sociology. Sociology is a social science
that focuses on society, human social behaviour, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. Central to this is developing critical thinking skills, and as a result of that it has changed my perspective on many things. We all express creative flair in different ways and arguably often are not even aware of it. I had always enjoyed taking 'snapshots' over the years with a succession of cameras generally of the 'point and shoot' type. I had a bit of an epiphany when I bought my first MFT (micro four thirds) compact system camera, the, at the time, highly acclaimed Panasonic GX1. That camera and its features gave me much more control over taking photos and produced beautiful images. Over time I bought additional Panasonic lenses which further extended what I could do with my photography. I grew to love the MFT interchangeable lens camera system due to its compactness, light weight, and ability to compete with the bulkier heavier DSLR cameras. One day I saw a feature on the new Olympus O-MD E-M1 camera. I loved the retro design of this fully featured camera in comparison with many of the more rounded arguably bland looking cameras that were dominant. The Olympus O-MD E-M1 was getting rave reviews and racking up awards. I bought the camera loaded with ground breaking 5 axis image stabilisation and so began my transition from Panasonic to Olympus (now rebranded as OM Digital Solutions). I progressively sold my Panasonic lenses in preference to Olympus lenses of which there are undoubtably some real beauties. In late 2016 I bought the new Olympus flagship camera the O-MD E-M1 MKII and in mid 2020 it’s successor the O-MD E-M1 MKIII. I use both of these cameras. I use only Olympus lenses and currently have the 7-14mm f2.8 PRO lens, 25mm f1.2 PRO lens, 45mm f1.2 PRO lens, & 40-150mm f2.8 PRO lens. The MFT format is great as compact light weight gear but does have its limitations in low light situations. I’m open to a change of brand in photography gear, especially if it comes sponsored :)
As my photography equipment expanded and provided many more shooting options my desire to up-skill my technical and practical knowledge increased. I satisfied this by reading photography publications, looking at YouTube videos, a lot of on-line research and studying the recommendations of skilled photographers. I enrolled in the New York Institute of Photography 'Complete Course in Professional Photography' and successfully completed this course of about 18 months early in 2016. If I was to credit someone for igniting my interest in photography then apart from my wife Margie it would be my late father Robert (Bob) Taylor. My dad developed an interest in photography in his mid-life years. He favoured Nikon photography gear in the pre-digital days of film cameras. He gathered an impressive collection of awards and trophies over the years and was also invited to judge national and international photography salons. Looking back; he clearly had artistic talent and satisfied that through photography. I have great admiration for the way he so successfully mastered his photography, darkroom film processing and manual photo manipulation in an age before the advent of digital photography and powerful digital editing software. Living in Tauranga in the beautiful Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, provides great photography opportunities and the environment has no doubt been a factor in my preferences for coastal photography themes. I especially love golden hour photo opportunities around sunrise and sunset, stormy skies and seas in all their moods. I also like to try and capture beach sports, beach life and cruise ships that come and go in spring, summer and autumn, and photography of my wider travels. As at May 2023 I have 7800 followers of my Facebook photography page. It’s very humbling. My greatest pleasure in this is the pleasure my photography gives to others. We all see the world through different eyes and as such I hope you enjoy my subjective viewpoint through my photography. 'If you're fond of sand dunes and salty air', then I hope you will like what you see. Images posted on this page can be purchased as high resolution .jpeg files (emailed to you), prints, or canvases. Please enquire re prices.
