The howling wind tears on my clothes as my brother gets swallowed by the fog rolling in the distance. And I stand there, star struck, taking in the raw beauty of Northern Wales. The green tones of the grass, the cold blues of the low hanging clouds, the colorless wall of rock that provides a stunning backdrop to it all. Hours later, we get back to the car – battered up by the Welsh elements. Soaked to the skin and with legs aching from thousands of steps.
Photography makes me walk the world with eyes wide open. It makes me notice things I’ve never noticed before. Light, tones, structures, contrasts. 10 years ago, before I started to take up photography, I perceived my surroundings differently. When my mom would tell me about the beautiful light of a sunset, I’d say ‘yes’ but I wouldn’t quite see it myself. I didn’t consciously notice light and the beauty it makes places appear in its various states. I wouldn’t have been able to tell you about the beauty of the tones in a tree, the brown in its stem fading into a red – and how gorgeous it all looks with its dark green leaves.
When you figure it all of out, it comes with a strong sense of satisfaction. Photography is thrilling at times – when the location and the conditions all come together and nature puts on this masterpiece, you have to watch out you don’t get too carried away and take the time to actually take in the moment for yourself. But that’s just half of the story. What really makes photography special for me is what it makes you experience. It’s not pressing down the shutter button that you remember. It’s the journey. The 10 mile hike you took on to get to a place you’ve been told about and really wanted to see. The day you spent out with a friend taking portraits. The atmosphere of a place you have all to yourself and the way that makes you feel. If just some of these emotions make it into an image, it gets special. It’s the reason why my best photos aren’t necessarily the ones that mean the most to me.
I can be a competitive and ambitious person – and a bit of a perfectionist in certain areas. When I started out with photography it was because I loved it – but I also had the ambitious desire to get to the most spectacular spots, take perfect photos, and to really be honest, I also wanted my photos to be admired. It propelled me and made me improve – but if you’re doing something for the wrong reasons, it won’t fulfill you.
Having an audience for your photos is a gift. When a capture makes a friend (or a stranger) smile or dream, that’s a wonderful thing. When someone loves one of my photos so much they hang it on their walls, it makes me feel very special. But the true motivation to shoot comes from within. I do it because I truly enjoy the process, the adventures it makes me embark on – and because it makes me see the beauty in that sunset my mom told me about – this time for myself.
I don’t consider myself especially talented when it comes to photography, actually. There are people out there that will see compositions I’d never see in a million times. People that find mindblowing motives in places I just walk by. And that’s okay. Photography is not about being the best. While looking at other artists’ photographs can provide you with inspiration and make you learn, constantly comparing your photos to others generally is going to make you feel worse about your own photos. If you’re thriving, always wanting to grow and improve, that’s fantastic.
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