N I K O N
My Nikon cameras & lenses have been my therapists, my companions and my sanity for the last 5 or so years. They have saved me more times then I can remember.
In times of trouble we all need a safe place to retreat. A net that catches us and prevents us from hitting the ground to hard. My cameras are that. When Kyle was admitted to the psychiatric ward you would find me wandering along the beachfront, camera in hand, shooting. It was during this period that my love for black and white minimalism started. I couldn't see the world in colour but I was surrounded by people in bright colours, laughing and having fun. My camera allowed me to still capture images that has resulted in my finding my true genre in photography.
We all need 'something', and not just someone, that can lift our spirits when we are down. Yes we have friends and family that can fill the gaps but we also need something that allows us to be quiet in our thoughts. Something that gives us space to ourselves and doesn't require engagement on a level higher then what we feel comfortable dealing with. For me at times that means photography. So I loose myself behind my lens.
I don't just have to go down to the beach. I can wander around my garden and do some macro photography finding pleasure in the perfection of the tiny creations that surround us. When time allows I can go find a nature reserve and marvel in wildlife. Or I can hit the streets and shoot the vibrancy of the city and her people that inhabit it around me.
What my cameras have given me is new sight. Where I missed so much detail before now I see the tiny drops clinging to the strands on the dandelions. I see the movement of the animal hiding in the shadows of the bush. And I catch the unseen in town when walking with my camera in hand. This brings me pleasure and joy. When I went through a period when I had a very low self-image I spent about a year doing some boudoir photography. It restored within me a belief in my own beauty. And knowledge that I didn't have to conform to what society considered beautiful. That I was beautiful just the way I was.
And it brings me more pleasure and joy when my images are enjoyed by others. Either as an inspiration to improve their craft of photography or just as an enjoyment to the senses. I'm so glad that in my darkest hour I discovered within me a gift that brings to others beauty and light. Things they may never have seen otherwise.
This is not a brand war. My first camera happened to be a Nikon and generally once you are used to the functions of a certain brand, or have invested in lenses, that is what you run with. I'm now comfortable with my Nikon cameras. I don't apologise for it and most of my photography friends are Canon shooters - that's ok - I'm happy to accommodate those lower down the rung (love you all - mwah).
Find something that allows you to be at peace with yourself in times of strife. While friends and family are a support system, circumstances sometimes mean they cannot always be there. And really there are times you just need to learn to stand on your own feet. Push through the despair and heartache on your own and come out on the other side feeling better. Don't always make it another persons' responsibility to life you up.
So find your 'something' - be it photography, scrapbooking, writing - whatever. And indulge in it. It is hugely soothing to your soul. And your soul will say thank you - trust me.
In times of trouble we all need a safe place to retreat. A net that catches us and prevents us from hitting the ground to hard. My cameras are that. When Kyle was admitted to the psychiatric ward you would find me wandering along the beachfront, camera in hand, shooting. It was during this period that my love for black and white minimalism started. I couldn't see the world in colour but I was surrounded by people in bright colours, laughing and having fun. My camera allowed me to still capture images that has resulted in my finding my true genre in photography.
We all need 'something', and not just someone, that can lift our spirits when we are down. Yes we have friends and family that can fill the gaps but we also need something that allows us to be quiet in our thoughts. Something that gives us space to ourselves and doesn't require engagement on a level higher then what we feel comfortable dealing with. For me at times that means photography. So I loose myself behind my lens.
I don't just have to go down to the beach. I can wander around my garden and do some macro photography finding pleasure in the perfection of the tiny creations that surround us. When time allows I can go find a nature reserve and marvel in wildlife. Or I can hit the streets and shoot the vibrancy of the city and her people that inhabit it around me.
What my cameras have given me is new sight. Where I missed so much detail before now I see the tiny drops clinging to the strands on the dandelions. I see the movement of the animal hiding in the shadows of the bush. And I catch the unseen in town when walking with my camera in hand. This brings me pleasure and joy. When I went through a period when I had a very low self-image I spent about a year doing some boudoir photography. It restored within me a belief in my own beauty. And knowledge that I didn't have to conform to what society considered beautiful. That I was beautiful just the way I was.
And it brings me more pleasure and joy when my images are enjoyed by others. Either as an inspiration to improve their craft of photography or just as an enjoyment to the senses. I'm so glad that in my darkest hour I discovered within me a gift that brings to others beauty and light. Things they may never have seen otherwise.
This is not a brand war. My first camera happened to be a Nikon and generally once you are used to the functions of a certain brand, or have invested in lenses, that is what you run with. I'm now comfortable with my Nikon cameras. I don't apologise for it and most of my photography friends are Canon shooters - that's ok - I'm happy to accommodate those lower down the rung (love you all - mwah).
Find something that allows you to be at peace with yourself in times of strife. While friends and family are a support system, circumstances sometimes mean they cannot always be there. And really there are times you just need to learn to stand on your own feet. Push through the despair and heartache on your own and come out on the other side feeling better. Don't always make it another persons' responsibility to life you up.
So find your 'something' - be it photography, scrapbooking, writing - whatever. And indulge in it. It is hugely soothing to your soul. And your soul will say thank you - trust me.