Photography

What is photography and why do we need it?

Why photography?

The word “photography” comes from the latin word photographia, which itself derives from the earlier Roman phrase lumininis. This literally means “the writing of the light”. Yes, that is all completely made up.

Photography is an essential art form. It allows us to record things that we see with our eyes. Little-known fact: our eyes and cameras both have lenses. What does this tell us? It tells us that we are nature’s camera.

Photography is a way of saying “I was here” without actually having to speak to anyone. It’s a form of silent bragging that’s socially acceptable, even when it’s just a slightly overexposed sunset or a blurry pigeon.

I originally got into photography by taking photos of my old cats back when i was growing up. Most of the pictures were blurry and a bit shite to be honest. But the interest has always been there.

I recently got back into photography in June 2024, around the time i started noticing the variety of fungi around Scottish woodlands. I started to read up and learn about the technicalities, gear, composition, exposure, etc. When i realised that most my photos were mediocre at best, that was when i got into photography. I wanted to improve. While I have a long way to go, my photos are much better than they were 12 months ago

My interest in photography has pushed me to go to new places and see new things – things that i would never have paid any attention to when i was younger. It has truly improved my life and for that reason I treasure it.