work on my photography

I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot lately, and I’ve decided that the previous incarnation of this goal – “take more pictures” – really isn’t the right one for me. I don’t take enough pictures, it’s true. I’ve been going months at a time without picking up the camera at all. But I don’t think it’s an issue of quantity. I could start carrying my camera everywhere with me, go back to shooting three rolls of film a week, and I don’t think I’d be any happier with my output than I am right now.

I need to start actively working on my skills as a photographer. Obviously, that means taking more pictures. But it also means putting more thought into the pictures I do take. It means taking the time to learn how to really use my camera (cameras, actually – I just inherited a gorgeous old Pentax that I find kind of baffling at the moment).

It means thinking of myself as a photographer again, rather than ‘someone who takes pretty good pictures’.

Photographed a wedding on the weekend. It went well, I think – I haven’t seen the photos yet (the joys of shooting film), but I know that some of them were amazing.

It’s nice to know that, even though I haven’t been putting as much effort into this goal as I should, I haven’t completely lost the knack. I still like photography, even when it means eight hours on my feet with no time to grab something to eat, or even to put the camera down. Even when it terrifies me – there’s so much stress involved in shooting a wedding, and I never seem to remember that until I’m actually getting ready to do it. But when I’m actually there, taking the pictures, I do enjoy myself.

I just need to do it more than once or twice a year.

I’ve agreed to photograph a wedding this summer.

I can do it. I’ve done weddings before, and though they’re far from my favourite thing to shoot, I can handle it. I wouldn’t have agreed if I had any doubts. But it’s been a couple of years, and I’m feeling seriously out of practice. Photography just hasn’t been a priority.

Time for that to change, I think.

I’ve got nearly four months – plenty of time to get myself ready.

I actually managed to make a little progress this past weekend, at the Tall Ships Festival. (Always a good opportunity to get out and take pictures, though this year wasn’t as good as it has been in the past.) I think I shot more photos this week than I have in the past year.

Of course, progress on this goal means a bit of a setback on my goal to ‘get my film developed’ – another six or seven rolls added to the backlog – but I’m ok with that.