Gordon Chapman becomes an author on the F Blog
I must say that I'm thrilled to be invited to become an author on the F blog. For me, the F blog is the most exciting photography site and most of my favourite contemporary photographers are already authors here or post on the site. I've been pleased to be an invited guest and to post here from time to time - you will know me by my initials - GC.
Photographers celebrate the world with a heightened visual passion, and I believe the world responds to that enthusiasm by providing us amazing things to photograph. I live in a small village just outside of Ottawa, and almost all of my photographs are taken within walking distance of my house or workplace.
I have been taking pictures since I first borrowed my sister's Brownie a very long time ago. Other than as a stint as a photojournalist in the 1970's I been doing it just for my own amusement. I shot with 35mm for a very long time, and then became absorbed with digital cameras. I loved the instant feedback one can get from a digital camera and I think that more than anything, using them allowed me to really understand how one can manipulate an image by understanding a camera's unique characteristics and how they respond to different settings. Ironically, shooting with digital led me back to shooting with film more often.
A few years ago I had something of a photographic ephiphany when my friend and F blogger Rhonda Prince sent me a Diana camera. I believe that she said something like "you need one of these". I circled around it for some time - it was an odd little beast, and parts of it kept falling off. I finally loaded it - the first time I'd handled medium format film in years - and began a love affair with the Diana that continues. I really think she has a vision of her own, so I subtitle my Diana shots "Dianavision" because she really is more than a camera, she is my co-conspirator.
I'm now shooting with a mixed bag of medium format, 35mm, and digital cameras and it probably speaks to my passion (or obsession with...!) photography that I seldom go anywhere with out at least three cameras.
I'm very happy to join the F blog and look forward to enjoying the amazing images that the authors and contributors post on the blog and sharing mine with you.
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