So far, I have talked alot about what it is I do and what I have done as a photographer. For this post I want to talk about how I became a photorapher in the first place, what it was that drew me into photographic practice, who my influences were and how my practice has evolved throughout school, college and up to the present day as I plan for the future after university.

Where Did it Begin.

My interest in photography came about when I was around 12 years old. At least that is the earliest mmory I have of wanting to persue photography as a hobby. My Grandad was a photographer who mainly shot weddings on a freelance basis and after retirement always carried a camera with him everywhere. Since I spent alot of time with my grandparents (and still do), I have always been around a camera since a very young age. Initially, I was always the subject as my grandad would position me and my siblings for photos that would end up in the family albums but as time passed and I grew older, he began to impart his knowledge onto me, sharing what he was doing with his camera and explaining why he would do certain things to create certain outcomes in images. This immediately fascinated me began my journey into photography.

For a while, my grandad would allow me to use his camera to take photos which only sparked more curiosity within me. It wasn’t long after that I asked for a camera for christmas. And as it happened on christmas morning one year I opened a box containing my first camera, a simple digital point and shoot. I took thousands of photos with this camera as I got to grips with the very basics of photography. Then came the chance to take photography as a GCSE at my school.

My First DSLR.

As it became time to choose my subject options for my GCSE’s, photography was at the top of my list. We began lessons with an introduction on how to use DSLR cameras, with the school owning a few for us to use. As I began to get to grips with it, It became clear to me that the step up from a point and shoot to a DSLR was vast. However, it did not intimidate me but rather excited me as I now had more tools at my disposal such as apeture and shutter speeds. Not long after, I began wanting a DSLR of my own so I could use it outside of school too and it wouldn’t be long before that dream became a reality. Another christmas rolled around and I unboxed another camera when the day came. This time the camera was  Nikon D5300 DSLR. This is the very same camera I talked about in the post about my current gear. I immediately began shooting at every given opportunity just as I did with my point and shoot, only this time with all the bells and whistles that a DSLR has. My knowledge of how to use a camera expanded as it soon became time to apply for college.

A Level Photography.

For as long as I knew it to be a possibility, A level photography was what I wanted to study in college. While GCSE photography was a great introduction into using better equipment, it paled in comparison to what I began to learn at college. Of course now, DSLR cameras became the standard but other doors opened up to me such as studio lighting. This was a whole new experience for me, using a studio with a professional lighting setup and I loved it. Most imortantly though, I was introduced to how projects were made. While different to how a university operates, at college the way I had to go about creating a project was not too different. I may have still had the proverbial training wheels on but it allowed me to start getting to grips with how a proffessional photographic practice would work. I was now shooting more than ever and in more locations than I had ever for a project. Experimentation with photograpic techniques also ramped up as I was introduced to a dark room for the very first time. From pin hole photography to photograms and sun prints. 

With this new found interest in the darkroom, I wanted to experiment further still. This led to converations with my grandad who I knew had his own personal darkroom at one time. As I expressed my interest in analog photography he became interested also and told me he had a 35mm film camera that he no longer uses. This camera, a Contax RTS II Quartz, became mine soon after as a gift. Of course I began shooting with this camera too, now finding that I had to be far more considered with my shots as I had less of them and buying alot of film wasn’t financially viable for me.

Throughout my time at college I used all of these new found skills and information for my projects and began to really consider a future career in photography. As I began to start filling in university applications, Huddersfield University caught my eyeand so I applied.

Degree Level Photography and Becoming a Proffessional.

Beginning my degree, it became apparrent very soon that it was a step up from anything I had done before. There were similarities to college in terms of the structure of doing projects but everything was much more in depth. I began to learn new skills and practice skills I had already to a level I had not practiced before. Reflecting on my time at Huddersfield University, I see now that the aim of the course isn’t just to teach photographic skills, but to also get me ready for life after university as a fully fledged photographer. This is what I mean about becoming a proffessional. By no means does that mean that I have reached perfect proffessional standards, what I actually mean is that the course has readied me for the proffessional world. No longer is the excitement and curiosity solely on taking photos and experimenting with techniques, I now have a great level of excitement for what I will do after graduation. The hobby has now become a very possible career choice, something that I have thought about since school but only in the last year or two have seen that it is within my grasp to do so.

Final Word.

That concludes my journey so far as  photograher and my story of how I became one. I hope this was helpful in getting to know me as a photographer more and what has informed my practice over the years. In an upcoming post I will be talking about my plans after university and where I would like to take my practice proffessionally.