Armchair Photography...

I like taking pictures. I occasionally like having my picture taken, but not often. This is a snap I took on the Isle of Mull a few weeks ago. I was there for a wedding. I didn't realise it at the time, but apparently these boats are famous. Three derelicts nestled on the shore between Craignure and Tobermory. Quite stunning, as was most of the island, though it was somewhat difficult to get a decent lunch on a Sunday afternoon.

Going back to the photography, it's only recently that I've tried to take good pictures. It coincides somewhat with getting a very good digital camera this last Christmas. In fact, it's inspired me to root out an old SLR that I was given 15 years ago. That's taking me time to get the hang of. It's 100% manual. And being used to a 512Mb smart card, it's taking time to restrict myself to 36 exposures. I'm learning to be sparing.

The shot here was taken digitally though, and I did convert it to Black & White in Photoshop. I don't think that's cheating too much.

I've developed an almost deer-in-headlights appreciation for the scenery surrounding me, so I tend to go for landscapes. I've been told this is the most difficult and frequently disappointing subject matter, with the added risk of being really boring to the viewer. For me, I have a desire to express the amazement I have for the world around me, to pass it on to others. I suppose that's a bit arrogant. It assumes that nobody else appreciates it the way I do. But that's not what I mean; you might appreciate as much as I do, but you don't see it the way I do, because we all see differently. And my contacts aren't fitting so well, so I have to see it through a great deal of blinking.