Photography Explained - Episode 1 - What Is Photography?

Hi everybody. Welcome to Episode 1 of the Photography Explained podcast. This week – What is Photography

 I’m your host Rick and each week I will try to explain one photographic thing to you in plain English in less than 10 minutes without the irrelevant details. My aim is to explain things in just enough detail to help us with our photography and no more.

This week I am starting at the very beginning, asking the question What is Photography? Well I’m going to go a step further - what is photography - to me?

So what exactly is photography?

The word photography is made from two Greek words, photos which means light, and graphé which means drawing.

So photography is drawing with light.

Apparently it was Sir John Herschel who came up with the word photography in 1839. Yes, 1839. 181 years ago. Just think how much the world has changed since then! Quite scary really.

OK – history lesson over! Back to me – yes this is now all about me now!

What is photography to me.

Photography has been a huge part of my life since my early teens. And this is a long time ago I can assure you!

Photography is the thing that I have spent my entire adult life studying, learning, practicing, sharing and enjoying.

Photography has taken me to so many unique places and given me so many unforgettable experiences.

I do feel very fortunate to have found photography, which has been a lifetime interest and joy even now when it is my actual job. Or did photography find me? Sorry I was at risk of getting deep there – it won’t happen again!

Let me give you things that photography has given me

1 – A business that I really enjoy

2 – An alternative career

3 – Broadening my business horizons

4 – Something I have a genuine expertise in

5 – An opportunity to share my expertise

6 – Many fantastic sunrise experiences

7 – A huge range of photos from places all over the world

8 – The ability to produce photos that look like they were taken by someone else – ie a professional photographer

Yep I suffer from imposter syndrome – when I create new photos for clients I still look at them and marvel that I created them and that they are not the work of a real photographer. It’s ok to feel like this honest!

Seriously.

So that is what photography is to me – a lifetime of learning, exploring and enjoyment that I build on every day of my life.

Not bad eh?

Next week on the Photography Explained Podcast – How does a camera actually work?

Cheers from me Rick.