As I look through our photos each one brings back a treasured memory. We capture so much of our lives in images. When I look through my archives long forgotten moments come back to life. They truly are a diary of our lives.

Risky business. Memories of being under sail on a great ship in the North Sea.

Some of these images are photographically not the greatest pictures on earth. Not every click is a masterpiece. Each image has a personal value and then there are images which have something more, the power to communicate an idea and emotionally engage an audience.

One of the greatest lessons I have learnt over the years is to take pictures for myself first.  Every image I make is personal work. Some images are taken just to capture a memory, just for me.

These days everyone's a photographer. People share their photographs on the internet and many people call themselves amateur photographers. In other words they are interested in photography as a hobby and want to learn to take better pictures. They upload their images and receive ‘likes’. Sadly rather than making images for themselves they often fall into the trap of slavishly trying to make images that will please their audience, often copying the work of a popular photographer in the hope of gaining more approval ratings. I suspect that because their work does not come from their own vision, is not a personal expression, they get sucked into a black hole of chasing more and more praise.

Perhaps the definition of an artist is someone driven to create for themselves, driven to express what they see and feel about their life experiences. An age old debate of course. The medium, whether photography, painting, sculpture, music… is just the language of expression the artist chooses.

Sometimes it's not good to analyse too much. Just go with the flow and listen to your inner voice. Go create.

Till soon,
Paul
www.indigo2photography.com