My Journey Into Photography: Lockdown Thoughts

The summer Solstice is upon us and I want to reflect on the first half of 2020 as it's been a crazy year for us all. The outbreak of Corona Virus has changed all our lives this year as we have been guinea pigs in a real time experiment on disease control. Many folks I have spoken to on my weekly walk around the local nature trails had no idea this is not the first time Corona Virus has caused us problems. In Asia and the Middle East there have been at least 2 outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS in the last 15 years. Both are related and they belong to the same family as Covid-19, the latest outbreak. Scientists around the world have been studying SARS for several years now, but as this year has shown us, a sudden outbreak can take everyone by surprise and the world was quite literally caught with it's trousers down.

Once governments got their acts together, to varying degrees, most of the world was asked to stay at home and all but essential services closed. This hit the multitude of photographers whom rely upon workshops and tours around the world to feed their families. No workshop = no income. Not a particularly nice position to suddenly find yourself in. However, the human spirit has seen folk adapt, improvise and overcome the challenge laid before them by this crisis. There are several photographers I follow on you tube whom lost out on income as worksops from Patagonia to Alaska and Madrid to the Mekong Delta were cancelled. That meant they had to put their creative talents to use elsewhere and thankfully for us mere mortals, they managed to keep creating content for us to enjoy and to learn from.

My photography teacher Mike Browne set up a facebook group called Photography Locked Down and has been setting weekly challenges for anyone wanting to improve their photography skills and maybe get the creative juices flowing. This has had its teething troubes as folk found out when judging either didn't go their way or they couldn't find the inspiration to make an effort. This is where the group found its voice and the support from strangers to help those having a struggle finding their mojo was very inspiring. In fact it has inspired Mike to look at how it can continue after we are all unleashed upon a brave new world.

Thomas Heaton, one of my favourite landscape photographers, has been conducting tutorials from his garden and re-visiting old content to see if the passage of time can lead to editing images a different way as his skills have grown. He also took a fresh look at the videos that form the basis of his content to this day, a look back at adventures past to bring them up to date and reminisce. He also finished a book that he has been working on for a couple of years and was sorting the first batch ready for posting as I wrote this blog. These are just two examples of how the world of photography has adapted to having it's heart put on the shelf. Mike and Thomas are not alone as there are countless tales of how folk have adapted to this unprecedented challnge, myself included.

Faced with the prospect of being stuck indoors for three months I had to check all the boxes courtesy of my own health issues. The prospect of being stuck indoors for three months was not one I was looking forward to but one bit of guidance stood out. We could enjoy one hour a day outside for exercise. I looked at it a little deeper and nothing said I couldn't save up that hour and use them all on one day. I found a loophole! Feeling rather pleased with myself it led to me having my weekly walk around the local nature trails and up to the local farm to say hello to the horses and take in my favourite vista. I have learned so much during lockdown that my brain has been hurting, but in a good way.

Having a stroke leaves lasting damage regardless of the severity. I know I was lucky that I only lost a bit of my old self, but others have been less fortunate and lost everything. The ability to communicate is something we all take for granted until we lose it. Losing my speech for a short time led me to find a way to express myself and, thanks to some very dear friends and family, I put aside my beloved motorcycle and found my photography and writing mojo.

Over the last 3 months I have learned a lot more about photography, I've taken a big step away from being a happy snapper and onwards to being a Photographer. I can develop B&W film and have more than one developer in my arsenal. I can read light more instinctively and be able to put some settings into my camera, before I lift it to my eye, that aren't too far off the mark. I can also find compositions more easily, this has led to my photography being more consistent rather than hit and miss. (I'm a 1/250th at f/11 kind of guy now). I have also been able to enjoy my photography and switch between systems easily rather than trying desperately to remember how to use my camera's before heading out.

One thing I do know, it is NOT just like riding a bike.Yes, once you learn to ride a bike you never forget how to do it, but riding a big bike as fast as your skills allow is in a league of it's own. There's no better rush of adrenline. Period. Photography will never match that intensity. The last three months has taught me to appreciate life more, to get out and enjoy that view and actually say hello to strangers as we give each other space on the trails. To slow down and enjoy seeing the results of my skills as a photographer. It has given me the confidence to go out and do it again. I know there is always something new to learn and I still have a long journey ahead of me.

Lockdown has been a worrying time for everyone, I think we all know someone whom has been affected by Covid-19 in some way. Friends of mine have had to spend time in hospital getting treatment they needed or having to isolate because their test came back positive and thankfully they are all OK now. I have missed a lot of things I once took for granted, but I have also enriched my life by committing this time to exercise my brain. By eck it needed it. I will leave you this week with a few more images of the beautiful countryside I am lucky to live near taken with my Nikon D700 and AF Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 D and hope you enjoy them. Be safe, be well, but above all be excellent to each other.