Should I Be Kept On This Course?

I have realized over the past five years that photography and art are my passion. I have been surrounded by photography since I was a baby because both my mother and father are artists and have done a lot of work with different mediums of photography. My mother was the photography and digital design teacher at my school, as well as the arts teacher. She taught me a lot about Photoshop and how to take a great picture in a studio and outside. I took more art lessons than that in photography but believe that they are closely connected. 

            One of my favourite local artists is David Hockney and his photomontage of a town square. It was different and made me realize that you can turn a whole bunch of pictures into an interesting piece of art. I also enjoy his other pictures of simple English fields and people looking out onto the trees and grass. These pictures may seem dull to some people but that simplicity drew me in. I felt tranquillity when looking at the 10ft by 10ft pictures of sheep pastures and blue sky.

            It’s not only the landscape photography that draws me in but that glamour side of famous portraits of celebrities. One of my favourite photographers is Guy Webster, whom I have met and shot with. He has shot the likes of Michael Caine and Mick Jagger, amongst many other starts. What fascinates me is what you as a photographer have to do when taking a picture of someone. Your not taking a picture to show only what they look like but you have to capture the story behind each picture.

            Like painting a picture, when you take a photo you have to think about colour, composition, and experiment with it until it’s interesting and draws people in visually and emotionally.  Unlike painting, a lot of the time you have to do business with and communicate clearly your ideas to people. There is a fine line between a good picture and a bad picture and to be a good photographer every snap counts. I dig working with people rather than working alone and feel I have a natural way of dominating the situation. Even when it seems daunting working with the general public the satisfaction of a great picture is worth it.           

            Even though I relish doing art I think that a picture can tell a deeper story, and in some cases can create an everlasting imprint on someone’s life. Art is beautiful but people relate to images better because it’s easier to imagine the emotion and augmentation behind a picture. My brain is wired as an artist and I can’t wait to account my creativity into the world of photography and follow in my mother’s footsteps.