As a first blog on a photography website you might, rightly, expect the subject to be photographic. The title would suggest otherwise. My problem is that I don't really know why I take photographs or make images. My brief history of working with wood says much more about me and, eventually, leads on to my photography.
Up until my mid forties I cannot recall even putting up a shelf although I was quite handy fixing anything mechanical. But working with wood wasn't a specific skill I could tap into. So I set about building a house. To be fair it was partly a reconstruction of an old croft house, but I designed a substantial extension to the original 1870's "design" of two rooms, one for the cow and the other for the rest of the family. The house is on the Isle of Skye and it was difficult and expensive to get contractors, so I just started myself and learned as I went along. I did everything, concreting, laying building blocks, building the timber frame, electrics and plumbing. Mostly I as on my own, although my wife of the time got used to mixing cement and heaving roofing sheets up scaffolding. Many shelves, several sheds, cupboards, spoons and picture frames later I went off square (no right angles and no straight edges) and bought a plan for a boat. Never having built a boat before I altered the plans, as one does, and the result is 'Maggie' my 12' rowing boat (named after my mum). Inspired by how well the boat came out and a painting of a boat by local artist Peter White - www.peterwhite.org - I took some photos of "Maggie" and came up with the image below. This wasn't the first image I have sold, but it was the first I saw as art. The limited edition print sold three copies at an annual members exhibition of An Talla Solais, Ullapool Visual Arts - www.antallasolais.org. So I could quote f/stop and shutter speed and the various stages of creating the image on Photoshop. Anyone can learn what these are. However what is hard to convey in a photo, or indeed any piece of art, and cannot be learned, is passion for the subject. Enjoy your photography and connect with something you are passionate about. Your photography will improve beyond your expectations.
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Neil GerrardThrough these blogs I hope to inspire you into creating better images. I'll illustrate with my own photography and link with other photographers and artists. Archives
August 2022
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