Experimenting with Photography in Lockdown
Many of us have been taking up new hobbies, experimenting with our creative sides, or spending time procrastinating assessments these last two months. Jordan Regnis took up photography and takes us through his journey.
The lockdown gave me time to focus on photography and investigate the famous photographers throughout history. I enrolled in an introductory photography course a few months back and have since gone out into parks, streets, and beaches, to explore different camera operations, including shutter speed, ISO, and aperture while gaining greater familiarity with Adobe Photoshop.
I purchased my first ever camera, a Canon 200D Mark II. It is light and compact and also it offers guided settings, making it easier for me to understand how increasing or decreasing each setting will change the image.
Photography during this time made me realise how much fun people could have outdoors, where the most exciting prospect was taking shots on a whim. It was the unexpectedness of not knowing what I may or may not capture in a person’s face and body language, at any one time.
I found I would take a hundred or so photos in a place, yet only have three or so that told a story about the subject. This was what made it so special; photography allows you to capture the small and large changes that occur in a physical space throughout the day.
Using a digital camera has forced me to consider how settings should be altered, depending on the time of day and the weather conditions. If there is not enough natural lighting the camera provides ways to overcome this by using flashes.
Time indoors has meant I have had time to explore other photographers like Vivian Maier, Bruce Gilden, and Imogen Cunningham. Each photographer offers a unique way of looking at the world and has shown me that every camera throughout history is interestingly designed. I admired how they continue to produce high-quality and meaningful artwork to this day.
I have noticed the aspects of people and the natural environment that I would otherwise have taken for granted. You can photograph something, and it will have a different look and feel depending on the lighting and the angle where it is taken.
Vivian Maier’s contact sheets have shown me multiple ways of looking at one subject or place, and the process of getting the perfect photograph.
Using my growing experience with my camera I want to build a collection of photos that explore a range of subjects and ideas present in the modern world. I want to continually make each project more intricate and creative than the last, by using a range of photographic techniques to show different ways of looking at the natural environment.
Feature Image by Jordan Regnis, Staff Writer.
