Being a hobbyist photographer

I cannot remember exactly when I started photography as a hobby, I have a vague recollection of being in my late teens. I remember my first "proper camera" was a bridge camera that was a gift from a friend, that I used to take photos on family ski trips and the first time I got a DSLR was another big step up for me. I found I got to grips with landscape photography easily as being able to pick out the beauty of nature was so easy to do, as there was so much to be inspired by.

Especially in the mountains where there is so much grandeur and awe to be found and it does not take an awful lot of looking to find it. Another thing I found when taking photos was peace. I found focus on nature and trying to capture its beauty relaxing and calming. Taking note of my surroundings and taking the time to take them in and see them was incredibly relaxing. I would say I have been lucky to visit and live in some naturally beautiful places in my life and I hope I will be able to document them through a camera.

Local to me is a reservoir that feeds the local canal to make sure the water levels are kept the same, over the years it has provided many an incredible scene to take in and just be blown away by, it is genuinely one of my favourite places to take photos, because it very rarely disappoints. Even when shooting photos with a smart phone camera it can produce some incredible photos. Over the years that I have lived where I do, if ever I wanted some time to think the reservoir was an incredible place to do it in and only a short walk away, it's a perfect place to practice or sharpen up your photography skills and experiment a bit.

Another setting that I love taking photos of, partly because of where I live sits on a hill and the fact I can get an uninterrupted view of them out of my bedroom window, I have loved sitting on or near my window ledge, taking the time to enjoy the view and capturing some of the best views I have been lucky to ever see. Especially between early April and September there can be some absolutely fantastic views to be seen from my bedroom. Being able to see the world extend away from you and to see open space. Early evening as the sun sets you can get some incredible colours in the sky through to dusk and just as the sun dips below the horizon. The colours of a sunset can be incredible especially if there are clouds in the sky of an evening.

What photography has taught me is to appreciate the world around you, watch the world and take it all in, as you may discover the beauty that is there in abundance, I've learn to look at the world from different perspectives and find things that are interesting to look at and colours that stand out and catch the eye. Observing the world around you can help out find the calm in the madness and find the serenity in nature, taking the time to study what is around helps you appreciate what you have and to pick out things you may have only ever glanced at. Studying your surrounding makes you think about them in a different light as you see things you wouldn't have before, you learn new things about places you been before or discover new things you've never noticed. You discover a new curiosity and go on journeys you do not expect, physically or metaphorically. You discver peace through simple observation, through waiting for the "right" shot and searching for beauty you learn about all sorts of different perspectives.