Hello! First, please let me apologize for the lack of a Blog update on Sunday, January 16. There was a power surge here on Saturday, the 15th and my computer wasn't working. I was unable to access the document I had started and as you can imagine, I wasn't in the right headspace to start over on my Laptop or Tablet. My computer is back in service (a story unto itself) and I’m ready to resume life as a photographer.
As one who has attempted in several ways to relieve the creative urge within through Art, be it Music, the Written Word, Painting or Photography, I feel most competent and confident as a Musician and Photographer.
When I was a young boy, I inherited a Kodak Brownie when my mother “upgraded” to a Kodak Instamatic pocket camera. Now, bear in mind, for a youngster of about 8 years of age, a Brownie is exciting for about twenty minutes, then becomes a burdensome thing that’s difficult to carry and rather fragile for normal boyhood activities. Not only that, but developing the film was much more complicated in the 1960s, requiring a trip to “town” some distance away, then paying for the processing; probably the greatest barrier. So it wasn’t until I became a teenager that I moved on up to a smaller Instamatic of my own.
In 1981, I was on my first National Musical tour, and feeling like I needed to share the sights with others back home. I’d already missed many opportunities due to not having a camera with me (I was always losing, forgetting, or breaking the pocket cameras) and I decided one day while in Lethbridge, Alberta to buy a camera that had some quality and functionality. I’d already become friends with a few Photographers “back home” in Fredericton, NB by this time, and so when I decided to go camera shopping, I chose to bypass the department stores and go directly to a store that specialized in cameras and Photography. I walked to the mall, about 15 minutes away, and entered the camera shop. I was greeted by a Gentleman whose demeanor reminded me of the proprietor of the camera shop I frequently visited back in Fredericton, and he patiently answered my questions while asking a few of his own to determine the right model for me. It took nearly an hour before he sold me my first SLR camera. It was a Pentax, fully Manual model; the only automatic functions were a light meter that gave me a reading in red when the exposure was not “perfect” and a reading in green when it was. I paid $225 for that camera and left the store with a smile on my face that lasted for the next year!
I accumulated quite a “portfolio” of images in the next four years before I loaned the camera to a “friend.” Say goodbye to both. Since then, I have moved several times and even the prints are gone, but the bug never left me.
In 2017, I was home again in Fredericton, visiting my family when I dropped into a store that specializes in used goods. Anything from Digital Media, Musical Instruments, Computers, and Cameras to parts and accessories for all of the above. It was there I saw, and purchased my first DSLR. Wow, quite a step forward from that old Pentax! For the first 3 years I had it, I didn’t really know how to use it properly, and so the results were often “iffy” but I persevered and after some helpful pointers from my good friend, I was able to use it with a greater level of proficiency. I looked into the possibility of making a part-time career out of my Photography, albeit a less active one than my Music had been.
As the Covid Pandemic lingered, I (as well as millions of others) grew increasingly weary of the restrictions and rising numbers. The strain of coping became a burden. I heard the phrase “Covid Stress Disorder” and my life and everything about it suddenly made sense. The apathy, the fatigue, the despair… All of it.
When our village was hit with a power surge last weekend, and my computer failed to work, I was certain major damage had been done. I was ready to give up.
After having a neighbour/friend check out my Computer, (it was fine) I was infused with a new determination to further develop my skills and persevere (that’s twice today I have used a word I rarely use at all) on my journey into Landscape Photography.
One of the tools I use to educate further myself in Photography, Photo editing, and getting better results in each, is YouTube. Consequently, I have subscribed to a number of channels and stay up to date on the activities of others. It was in this capacity that I watched a video by a young man in Toronto named Peter MacKinnon, who’s best advice was “Remember the path that opened the door, the door that you walked through, and stay on that; ‘cause that’s gonna lead to the most happiness.”
So, as I wander into 2022, whether alone, or with you accompanying me, I will do so with the same attitude, wonder and enthusiasm I felt that March day in 1981, as I stood in Lethbridge Alberta and took a photograph of an old Steam Engine so I could share it with a friend back home who had so long ago, worked on one.
THAT is why I take photographs; so I can share my experiences with you!
Until next week, keep your shutter finger warm and always remember to pack extra batteries. Thanks for dropping by!!
~Lonnie L. Jones
January 23, 2022