I have been taking photographs for roughly ten years now, starting out as a keen but inept amateur to the semi-pro status of an occasionally jobbing wedding photographer and back again. I had never really engaged with photography as a hobby, but working for Stanfords Map and Travel Bookshop so many years ago, continually exposed to travel photography in both books and talks did nothing but inspire me to try my hand.
My first mentor was the exceptionally talented and dedicated Jose Navarro, of Pangeafoto (http://www.pangeafoto.com/wp/), who did much to instil in me the disciplines and fascinations of the art, through fine example and much patience. He showed me how to frame, how to see and how to deal with each opportunity as it arose.
Through him I also discovered many great photographers, Steve McCurry, Robert Capa, Franz Lanting and Olivier Follmi to name but a few. My influences and inspirations have ranged across the spectrum of photography, from the known to the unknown, each adding to the wonder and magnitude of what I am trying to do. The good and the bad, the interesting and the dull, all have their place in educating and evoking.
Photography for me is both therapeutic and creative; I love the act of capture and composition, of the semi-serendipitous nature of post production. Having cut my teeth on transparency film and the gorgeous expressiveness of Neopan 1600, rich in its monochrome diversity, I find digital is a boon in its flexibility and capacity. Yet I miss the restrictions and enforced discipline of film. I miss the darkroom and the slow development of the image under a blood-red light. I miss having to make every shot count.
There are areas I have not been brave enough to explore properly, I am still not comfortable with portraiture, environmental or otherwise, despite the fact it gives me the greatest pleasure. Landscapes are mercurial in their attraction, detail shots and abstracts are fun and anything that hints or plays with the idea of liminality (doors, gates, boundaries of any sort) is sure to attract my eye and my camera. I love weathering and patina and character, the taint of time on the pristine.
Photography is the perfect medium to capture and hint at such stories, a snapshot and interpretation of reality both based in the physical and the mental, in the external and the internal.
It is this duality that intrigues me; photography as an engagement between the photographer and the viewer, a means of communicating and defining and playing that can be as mundane or as inspirational as it needs to be.
Ultimately I enjoy the process and activity of photography, of constantly learning and constantly exploring. And if somebody else likes an image I have made, then that is something of a blessing.
Jose Kilbride Links:
Blog: http://www.adaptable-eye.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jorence
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hillsabove/
Sometimes I wonder if we’re all on a wavelength where the only difference is how we ride it. By that I refer to your comments on film. For two months I’ve had my head buried back in film. So much so I’m seriously considering taking what I’ve set aside towards an upgrade on digital and re-investing in a medium format film outfit instead. And when I resurface, I see so many others are doing the same: Returning to film!
There is an element of portraiture in your work as it doesn’t only capture, it expresses. And that is a fine thing!
what a great blog! Its nice to read your perspective on photography and what it means to you. i often hear from people how photography lacks the depth of art in reference to evoking an emotion but I believe it to be the exact opposite. As you put it, photography is a great medium to capture that moment of happiness and joy which you can only experience once! I’m quite new to the DSLR world but I’ve always been fascinated with beautiful photos of landscapes, people, black and white and architechture. Again, inspiring blog, hope to read more like it!
P.S i love your picture of the clouds, quite dramatic. I could stare at it for hours.
SusanG
Thank you for you kind comments! I agree with regard to film, I have an old Yashica TLR which I am dragging out of retirement and I found myself looking at a Bronica MF setup in the secondhand section the other day.
I love the ease of digital but think film still has much to offer, and I haven’t found anything yet that gives me the richness of Neopan 1600 in terms of results. I do believe film makes you a better photographer, although at the expense of flagrant experimentation. Sounds like you have a blog-post of your own with regard to film 🙂
Paula
Thank you too for your response 🙂 I think you are right, you get as much out of photography as you put in, a good photographer can evoke as great a response as a good painter. I’m glad you like the cloud photograph, it was taken in Rosemarkie in Scotland, one fine winter’s morning (I took a lot of photographs in that hour 🙂 ).
“Photography for me is both therapeutic and creative; I love the act of capture and composition, of the semi-serendipitous nature of post production.”
Nicely said, Jose. I just looked at your blog and Flickr shots. You are amazingly skilled at capturing details. Seriously. I’m all into humanity and weird shots here in the city, while you are running around capturing the beauty in metals and snowscapes.
This shot of Chicago is amazing:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hillsabove/4371525130/
Also like the Barn and Turbine pic a great deal. Very beautiful.
Don’t even get me started on this picture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hillsabove/4371525124/
I’m jealous of that shot!
Shawn