Prior to attending university, I had a keen interest in learning to use a camera โ as opposed to capturing a moment or creating art. During university, I purchased a Kodak digital camera, and although the photos were not of the highest quality, removing the cost and volume constraints imposed by film rolls sparked my interest in documenting the people and places around me. However, when that camera broke, I cycled through a series of point-and-click cameras while focusing more on camcorders and home video for documentation.
Fast forward to the mid-2010s, when I bought my wife a Canon Rebel T6i so that she could try “real” photography. However, the camera remained unused for a long time until I threatened to take it for myself if she didn’t try it. This prompted her to learn the basics quickly, though she still wanted me to come with her for photo excursions. I was unwilling to double my camera investment, so without any working point-and-shoot cameras, I decided to use my phone. This is when I first created an Instagram account. The purpose of this account was to provide a reason to keep shooting and share any good captures with friends
A student employee at my workplace showed me how to take trendy photos with my phone and create algorithm-friendly posts on Instagram. I was happy to post photos from my phone for awhile until I came across an Instagram site from a photographer billed as “Jim Smith from Canada.” This photographer used an SLR and took majestic photos of places where I’ve lived and worked. His work made me see frequently visited locations in a whole new light, and it was clear that a mobile phone simply wasnโt adequate to create such lovely captures. As a result, I became very interested in dedicated cameras and photography as an art form.
When I went to the camera store to purchase a camera, the salesman’s primary question was, “do you plan to do video?” I erroneously answered affirmatively, and he recommended the Panasonic G85 over the Sony A6000. The rest, as they say, is history (in the making).
(images generated using Midjourney)