Well that’s a year gone and it really doesn’t seem like it. I’m going to get all teary eyed on you now…
I tentatively posted my first picture on the 4th of June 2005, having only owned a digital SLR for a month. I barely knew what the ISO setting did, f-stops were still a bit of a mystery and I daren’t fiddle with shutter speeds.
In the past year I have learnt so much, not only about the camera and how to compose a good photograph, but also about post processing and Photoshop. I’ve walked around areas of London I never would have and amassed about 12000 pictures in the process. I’ve also made some great “virtual” friends, of whom I’m really looking forward to meeting in Amsterdam in September. (That sounds a bit dodgy, but you know what I mean.)
I find photography a challenging hobby with numerous creative ups, when you think you’ve finally cracked it, which are quickly followed by downs where you consider sticking the camera in the cupboard. But being a part of the Photoblogging community makes you keep doing it. Every day I learn some new technique, discover an amazing photograph I would never have thought to take or turn a corner and spot something I would have previously missed if it wasn’t for actually looking at the world. It’s always inspiring. And I’ve been so pleased with the response; numerous emails asking how I processed shots, three thousand comments (three million if we’re counting spam) and a surprising number of unsolicited features and links.
Now I worryingly head into year two, hoping that I can continue to hold your attention with some good photography and with my fingers itching to switch that mode dial to M with confidence. So lastly a thank you to all who have stopped by, taken the time to comment, linked to me and spurred me on.
Oh, and this shot was taken with the “Photoblog Year” mode on the 350D. You can get it if you install the new firmware 😉
Update: I’ve just stumbled across this little Picasa plugin that makes the Picture Pile a little more fancy. Have a look here.