The Right Kit

I’ve been getting a little “single-minded”, shall we say, about taking images - increasingly just “because it’s there”, rather than stepping back and reflecting on why and where it’s taking me. It has been starting to cause some friction with loved ones around me.

Just back from hols (Northumberland series to follow – I’ll let you know when) and slightly on the fly getting ready to run the workhop tomorrow with colleague, G.

A very dear friend (who, with me, worked with G’s mum in our early careers) has reflected on some comments I made to him about this minor obsessive trait, that really, less is definitely more. In fact he confirms what I’ve felt for some time, and that is, the simpler my photography the happier I am. And more fun. I know, I am my own worst enemy; music links an’all (that may be hard to stop completely!)...

Object lesson yesterday. Rushed off to Leeds, lovely sunny Spring morning and decided to grab the camera for colour capture, my beloved K-5... Out came the camera in City Square after getting off the train; dead battery. My fault for not replacing the duff spare one over a year ago.

This image sums up a brilliant morning with the clinical education students; believe me, our lives are safe in their hands. My student, N, is a paramedic and brought an ambulance onto campus to do his microteaching slot - how to perform CPR in the narrow confines of a vehicle careering along at 100mph.

So, the right kit for the purpose, N-style. And the best camera ever, is the one you’ve got with you; hence this image, which I took on another colleague’s compact became my “POD”.

Finally, on the simpler photography note again, I must admit, I couldn’t bear to read further in B+W Photography mag, where a “noted” futograffer stated that “he felt the processing of images was far more important than pressing the shutter”. Duh.

So my good friend, you know who you are; thank you for supporting. Sometimes, wood and trees etc. Onwards.