What is my photographic style....

      I have been engaged in this hobby for 8 years +, & have to admit that I have not yet developed any unique and discernible photographic style. Yes, it would gratify my ego to have an exclusive photo style that identifies my work as creatively belonging to me. Auto-didactically I continually try to adopt camera and artistic techniques to enlarge my repertoire and move myself to a new higher level of competence. Some of these techniques I digest and incorporate into my process, others I reject first time around as being overly complicated and not worth the investment of effort. Sometimes, I may revisit at a later date to find that I had under-appreciated the benefits. An example of this happened just recently with focus stacking. This process involves taking a number of shots of the same set-up with each photo having a slightly different focus point from the front to rear and then combining the photos on the computer, so that all the in focus points are combined into a single photo with the out of focus shots being deleted. Not too difficult to execute in Photoshop and can even be done in camera by my micro 4/3 --Lumix GX85. Previously nearly impossible tricks of technical wizardry are being increasingly achieved by us part-time warriors thanks to the wonders of software.

       Personally, I believe that my street photography, more than any other genre I have attempted so far matches my personality. The street is exciting, gritty, occasionally a little risky and is a never ending theatre. Miss a great shot and another offers itself just seconds later. I shoot on the street exclusively in black and white. I tone for dramatic effect the b&w's in Lightroom, so that the blacks are black and the whites are almost pure. I judge that colours distract from the essence of the instant that I am attempting to capture. Unfortunately in Canada, we have long, cold winters and it is during this period that I tend to hibernate and attempt maintain skills & capture photographically the 'wonders' that surround me in my home. Days are lengthening and soon it will be pleasant to wander the streets again with camera

READERS: To make most sense of this blog, please commence reading entries with the earliest posting date.