Hasselblad

Analogue photography – medium format – Hasselblad 500c/m (1972)

The joy of photography. I loved ‘just’ taking photographs. It begun when I was 11 years old, I went on a 5-day school trip to Normandy, France. Armed with the family compact camera and about 6 rolls of 35mm film I documented everything. My photographs were better than the teachers and so were used in the Assembly Hall Exhibition about the trip. I never got those pictures back, foolishly I had given them over in the folders with the negatives, someone probably binned them. I have a few of the rejects.

But it begun a lifelong enchantment with photography. I never stopped taking photographs since.

I studied photography from basic courses to master’s degree, and worked, as in, being paid to take pictures for over 20 years. Alongside, I have always been busy with personal work, but gradually I have been losing enthusiasm. Now everyone is a ‘photographer’! My iPhone pictures benefit from my knowledge and experience, but it is not a requirement. Photoshop wizards only need the most basic of image to skilfully digitally paint the rest. And now we have AI. I have no desire to dive into digital genius, and I guess I thought, ‘what is the point anymore?’.

I studied a martial art intensively, I had the benefit of a most excellent coach, ‘back to basics’ and ‘too many mind’ (he is Japanese) was a motto, for when training and competition and trying so hard started to over complicate and effect performance.

Go back to basics, clear your mind and let muscle memory guide you.