In the beginning......

So when did my love for photography start??? If I'm being completely honest I couldn't give you a definite answer. Personally I think it was bubbling under the surface and just hadn't manifested itself into anything significant. As with every family there are photos from the past. Some that will make you cringe and laugh out loud and others that will bring back memories and make you sad. Nevertheless without those photographs we would only have memories. I'm not saying memories are a bad thing but unlike photos they fade over time. Photographs freeze and capture that moment forever and I love that. I can remember not so long ago, 2004 to be precise, I had the privelage of travelling to the fantastic city that is New York. At that time I had a basic Sony Cybershot camera. I brought the camera with me not only to take pictures of my trip but to capture images I could later use as screensavers on my laptop. Maybe that's when my bug for photography started. Within a few years I had made the step up and purchased a Canon 400D DSLR which I still use to this very day. It was mainly bought to take photos of my kids. The only difference since then would be that I have a range of lenses for different shots. Over the last couple of years I have used the internet to my advantage. I've taken on board the masses of tutorials and info that are available and when you are passionate about something you will absorb that information like a sponge to water. After a lot of practice I decided to share some of my photographs on networking sites like Facebook & Flickr. I received some flattering comments from friends & family for which I am eternally grateful. Since then I have been lucky enough to do freelance work for a local newspaper and I'm enjoy every minute of it. Yes photojournalism is very different to my normal style portfolio but that's all part of the experience. I am always learning new things and I get to meet a multitude of new people which I love. It's a great way of networking and as a freelancer that is vital. This blog will hopefully give you some insight into what to expect when you get that bug for photography. I aim to comment on a mixture of topics relating to photography,work and everything in between. I hope you will join me on what I hope will be a long journey. As per usual with everything "practice makes perfect". Never more so in photography. But can we really achieve that perfect image??? Let the chase begin.....