Where did what begin?
Well, this blog begins here - hello Blogosphere!
I figured for a first post, it might be fitting to go back to where photography began for me. Honestly, it started with my grandad. He played golf, created masterpieces of woodwork, and often held his camera in his hand (when he wasn't talking with his hands, he did a lot of that...)
He would sit us down after holidays and show us slide after slide up on a projector screen in the living room, and I didn't really appreciate it at the time, but I did appreciate and admire his enthusiasm and passion, and somehow it caught on.
I liked noticing things as a kid, pretty shy but quite observant. I was also shockingly bad at drawing and it frustrated me no end. My first very own camera fell into my hands when I was 9 - canon, film, no zoom, no control whatsoever - just on/off and point and click. I LOVED IT.
Before long, I was begging to go on photography courses for kids. I did eventually attend one. Just one. I think I shocked my mum with the image of a splayed dead pigeon when my film was developed, and that might have had something to do with it... Honestly, I thought it was beautiful - I shot it upside down and from above, the wings gently contrasting with the tarmac, all in grey... Mum thought it was morbid. Maybe I can see her point?
The camera provided me with a tool to combat my shyness - I might have been terrified of talking to anyone for the fear what they might think of me and god forbid if anyone saw me existing, but I wasn't going to give two hoots if they laughed at me for scrambling around on the ground to get the perfect shot!
Digital came along, and over time I upgraded my cameras as I learnt more and craved yet more control over what came out in my images. I also grew up a fair amount, and stopped caring quite so much what people think of me all the time. I'll even go to parties and talk to people now - in fact I'm quite happy to be the first person on the dance floor! But I still take my camera with me... and still draw stick-men.
And that first Canon? Still got it. Thanks Grandad. xx
(If you'd like to see how things have gone since then, check out the rest of the website, and if you'd like regular updates simply subscribe to the blog, or head on over to my Facebook page: www.facebook.come/clairebemisterphotography )
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