The beginning

Fascination – that was my feeling after buying my first digital camera in 2004. That little Sony P72 opened a whole new world of possibilities. I could take photos and instantly review my “piece of art” on that very tiny screen, and to make this whole deal even better, I did not need to buy film or wait for images to be developed.

I have never been particularly gifted at arts and crafts, and as much as I would love to be able to paint beautiful landscapes, my artistic talents stop with simple stick figures. My few attempts to do some craft ended up either on fire or tore apart in a thousand pieces. So, the idea that a little device could capture my surroundings was very appealing. I spent many years using a point-and-shoot camera. I learned all the technical aspects of photography (aperture, ISO, shutter speed) using my good old’ Canon S3 IS.

The plot thickens

I decided in 2012, after 8 years of using point-and-shoot cameras, that the moment was right to start exploring the DSLR universe. By that time, I had a good grasp of the photography basics, and I shifted my focus to photography theory. I was interested in understanding the difference between a snapshot, a photo, and an image. The challenge now was not only to take photographs that would accurately translate my surroundings. But also to create images that would express my feelings. During this period, I immersed myself in photography books, studied earlier photographers, and learned about different theories (colors, thirds, and many many others).

The realization

I quickly realized that photography had started to play an important role in my life, rapidly changing from a hobby to a necessity. Photography was – and still is – the moment when I switch off my brain and let my “soul” take control. I honestly believe that photography for me is the only way to be fully present in the moment. Setting up my tripod and camera makes me reflect on how I feel and what I want to capture at that moment. “What’s the image’s mood, what in the frame caught my attention, what’s the appealing element in the field of view?” I don’t think my brain is ever in charge to answer those questions. I like to imagine that it’s not my brain that sees the image but my soul that feels the light.

Yes, I realize this might be a strange thing to say, but once again photographers are a special breed. We always want to “freeze” things that are moving quickly, accelerate things that are moving slowly, and in this never-ending quest to capture the unexpected I found my path to art.

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