I can still remember taking my first “real” photograph, it was back in June 2004.
I’d recently re-discovered my love for photography while tinkering with a keyring camera. It produced images that looked like I’d taken a webcam out on a date, but it was enough to set off a spark of interest. Shortly afterwards, I took my hard earned money, and bought my first proper digital camera (a Samsung Digimax 202).
After playing about with the settings, and getting to grips with with its limited controls, I set about taking a few test shots before settling on something that would push my basic knowledge to the limits.
Inspired by another photographer’s work, (an excellent portrait piece that used a combination of shadow and light), I tried to recreate her work… just to see if I could produce something similar.
Using the few resources I had at my disposal, (a desk lamp, an old statue, and my stubborn nature), I spent a few hours setting up the scene. It took quite a few shots, but eventually everything lined up perfectly and my hard work was rewarded.
I still have that camera today, and while I may no longer use it I believe that it helped push me to work harder, to learn my own ways around its limitations, and keep working on producing that perfect picture.
