Change

Hi,

Welcome to my latest blog.

2017 Has been a year of change and personal loss.

Needless to say losing someone close to me has devastated every part of my life. Now I'm not intending to go into great personal detail. But it does lead me to my current trails of thought

There really hasn't been much happening photographically of late, I have been on my annual pilgrimage to Knoydart and Skye. They are still as beautiful as ever but my perception of them has temporarily been suspended. The highlands especially inspires me to create the most beautiful images that I can muster.

I find all of the scenes and vistas before me beautiful but...

The word but is a very difficult hurdle to get over sometimes.

Of course this will probably change over time as grief heals and you learn how to live without someone you love.

Another niggling thought is about how much time we now invest in photography without actually doing anything with them, now while my goal with this website was to share and do something with my images it is not the final solution. Websites come and go. Even Facebook or Instagram possibly some of the most used platforms for sharing photos may not be with us forever. (Don't worry it's not even a rumour, simply a musing. You don't have to post and share anything to keep them with us!)

But what if the only place online that you use to store photos disappears? What then if while uploading your cherished photos from your hard drive, computer, phone to a new website the device crashes and all of your photos are gone with no back up?

I've experienced the crushing feeling of a hard drive failing and taking those photos away. The landscape photos I was not worried about, family and pet photos however were an entirely different thing.

I recovered most but not all.

I would sincerely urge everyone to consider printing, not only is it an immensely satisfying thing having the tactile feel of photographs and albums in your hand but having something tangible to hand down to future generations must be something truly special.

Now I know that photos are potentially fragile things too, but how many albums do you have that come from your parents, grandparents maybe great grandparents that have stood the test of time?

Chances are a few, and printing an album is something that I intend to do also. Not with everything as that would be unpractical given the amount I'm likely to snap of family on my phone (Let's be honest, it is the most likely of photographic instruments for family occasions).

To have something tangible not reliant on any temporary digital means will be something worthwhile I'm sure.

I have also recently had the privilege of pointing my camera at people, relishing the new challenge of trying to capture that undefinable quality of a persons essence though a single frame. One with a charming one year old whom it was truly a pleasure to photograph and an even greater pleasure to see the smile on her mums face as I presented her with the prints from the shoot.

The other was my brother, while he may not have had too much of a choice (I am the elder after all!) I think he was also pleased with the result.

And on to my third trail of thought...

My mind has been focussed on past, present and future.

I find being behind a viewfinder is my sanctuary, a calming and stabilising influence.

As a photographer I believe the viewfinder always shows you the future sometimes in ways that transcends what is shown in that small rectangle, with a simple press of the shutter button the present is recorded and then you process the past.

Much like the way we all live our lives.

Looking to the future, living in the present and remembering the past.

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read.

Gary

Under A Pale Grey Sky