At forty plus, Aaron Bishop may not seem like your traditional user of social networking, but the fledgling photographer admits that he has found plenty of inspiration for his photographic passions upon discovering Camera House’s Facebook page and Photo Friday competitions. “I love the fact that it has given me an outlet to express the ‘art’ of photography and learn about it at the same time,” comments Aaron. Whilst Aaron has always taken photos – “mainly point and shoot pictures for family and posterity” – and has fond memories of his first camera, a “‘wind on’ cartridge number with an attachment for cube flashes” his school days’ hobby didn’t become a passion until a recent trip to Tasmania. He cites the Apple Isle as “one of the most beautiful places I've been to”. Adding that, “there are so many opportunities for a budding photographer to take some captivating pictures. I told my wife ‘if we go – I get to buy a new camera’.”
With a trusty new camera in hand, Bishop has embarked on an exploration of his creative side, often inspired by what he sees on the Camera House Facebook page. “I imagine something and try to create that snapshot on my camera. I also love the beauty of landscape, the detail of Macro and closeup portraits, I still have so much to learn and explore and this is what excites me and what I love about the whole process.” He suggests that “thinking a little differently” is the key to his creative success. “I think it makes some of my photos stand out a little more. Some of them may not be the best technically, but they have a ‘point of difference’. This is what drives my creativity, I think.”
As for his inspiration for his winning entry in the Photo Friday competition, Bishop says that he “wanted to create something with a lot of colour, simple but uniform”. “I also wanted to stick to the basic rules of Minimalism which I had done a little research on – as I had no idea what it was before I started.” According to Bishop, the challenge in taking such a minimalist shot was the light. “Lighting and trying to be precise with the uniformity of the shot. This was overcome by shooting in a doorway with natural light and adjusting my white balance to get close to what I wanted. The uniformity was overcome by using my grid on my camera.”
He used his new Nikon D3100 equipped with an AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm lens. “I just love it. It's very user friendly for a beginner like myself”. Despite being a novice shooter, Bishop was able to put his eye to the test to take out the top gong in the Photo Friday competition, proving imagination and creativity go hand-in-hand in achieving a great shot. So...his tip for other shooters? “To use lines to draw the eye, frame your shots where possible, and take constructive criticism on board and most importantly practice what you learn and learn by your mistakes.”
He is grateful for the opportunities thatbeing a part of the Camera House Facebook community provide. “I love Photo Friday, I like to look at everyone else's interpretation of the theme and see what they come up with... There are so many talented photographers out there and so much more I have to learn. Photo Friday has been an awesome ‘learning tool’ for me, and it just goes to show you that you don't have to be a so-called ‘pro’ to win this competition. I am honoured and overwhelmed at the fact that I have been asked to be included in the Better Pictures magazine. I'd like to thank Camera House on behalf of all the Photo Friday community for giving us the opportunity to compete, learn, display and express our creativity!”
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