Chatting with the photographers absorbed in their long term projects reminded me that documenting the moment can, if you like, take longer than that moment. That images needn't be disposable, transient or lost in a mass of data. Sometimes the documenting of a story should take longer than the story itself. I need to remember the adventures I have had, learning, discovering and slowly understanding what photography means to me.

 

I learned how to take pictures whilst working for a local newspaper. A day crammed with jobs would see me rush from one location to the next thinking.. fill the frame.. get the shot.. take a backup pic.. and move on to the next location.

 

It was only after I left the papers that I would really enjoy taking pictures. Where I could get to know the subject or the story, to take my time and use my head a little more. I am thankful for my initial experience as many of the photos I like are moments snatched from the street or from a story that's playing out before me. Seeing the instant in an instant is important here. I have also been lucky enough to experiment in the longer form of documentary photography. It's the conversations and observations around this that have re-inspired me to momentarily put away my sack of tech and concentrate on just my camera. Maybe even dig out my old cameras and lenses.

 

The geek in me would like a new eye for my new eyes and to be equipped with the Nikon D3s. Nikons flagship camera with extraordinary low light performance. I'd have to sell my eyes to afford it though and that just won't do. No, I have decent cameras and need to do some tech recycling before I indulge myself in any more 'latest technology'.

 

Some of my favourite photos were taken on my phone. The images above these words were taken with a wide range of devices, from phones, to compacts, to SLR's. A new camera may enthuse me, or allow me to take photos faster or easier in some way. Right now though I want to forget about the tools and think about the process.

 

Whether i'm snapping my breakfast to share online, snatching moments to remember later or documenting a story to archive for the future.. These are all my adventures in photography.

I'm @Documentally on Twitter