I asked our staff this week the following question;
What does being a photographer mean to you?
I got some lovely responses back!
Our knowledgeable customer service staff member, Skeat:
For me, very easy. I’m just an observer and recorder, like the tool, to witness and memorize. Life is short, I want to use my eyes to observe the environment around and use different lenses to composite the image, use cameras to record the moment and use photos to memorize and share the stories.
Brilliant manager Paul answered with this:
For me it is an opportunity to be creative, recording memories, work, reflect on history, and an opportunity for mindfulness.
Creative- I love the opportunity to work angles, composition, lighting and subjects in order to create something that is visually and emotionally appealing for my eyes.
Recording memories- I love looking back on old photos and enjoying the fun of reliving my travels, my friends / family, adventures and important life moments. From living in remote Alaska, to old uni shenanigans, to holidays with family and a million more.
Work- Photography has brought me an income and many wonderful new relationships through meeting lovely new clients over the past 25 years.
Reflect on history- I love learning more about the history of the wonderful old film cameras I own or have owned. Its amazing to think my old Rollei 35 was built in the late 60’s in Germany or my Voigtlander Avus was built pre World War I
An opportunity for mindfulness- I love when I shoot landscapes on film how it is a wonderful opportunity to slow down, to relax, to walk in nature, to quietly observe and to record.
Talented lab tech Ark’s answer:
My answer to your question:
Being a photographer is the way that I can against mortality.
I understand that human is mortal and time is endless. Individual human beings are always left behind by the torrent of time. So I armed myself with cameras to go against time and my mortality.
People can not freeze the time. But it is possible with the camera. The right time I press the shutter button, I can get a slice of time, the contents of my eyesight and my memories. That’s also stressed my cherishing of the film: the film is the physical time slice that I can touch.
I’ll always keep shooting, shooting film while I still can, shooting as many films as I can get. And the film will stay alive, carrying my sight, my thoughts and even my soul.
Our new staff member Paddy answered fantastically too:
For me, being a photographer is about capturing moments, telling stories visually, and exploring creativity. It involves finding beauty in everyday life, connecting with people and places, and constantly learning and experimenting with new techniques. My favourite ability is being able to freeze the perfect moment for someone to hold on to forever and the reaction they have when they see it for the first time.
And, my answer:
I used to draw lots when I was younger, and I wanted to be an artist. I just couldn’t ever get the pictures right as I saw them in my head, which was really frustrating. And then I picked up a camera. I’d been interested in cameras for awhile, watching movies and shows and feeling like that kind of storytelling made sense to me. I first picked up a camera when I was 16 and haven’t looked back. I’ve had some of the best experiences of my life with a camera in my hand, and shooting live music every week has added to the richness. Shooting film is what I enjoy the most, as it is a single moment in time that you can tangibly hold, it’s a feeling like no other. I’m thankful I picked up a camera years ago, because it’s made me who I am today.
It’s beautiful that photography all means something different to us – but at its core, we all love it for the same reason. Being able to show the world how we see it and capture that moment in time.
