Street Photographer

So far everything I've learned about photography has been self-taught. Every mistake I've made has led me to a better understanding of the camera (or myself). I have countless books and magazines on photography littering the house (or so the other half would say). I pour over these leaving some half-read, awaiting my return.

When I decided to make this a professional pursuit I also made the decision to learn more and keep on learning. Like with this blog, I want to always have a reason to take a photograph and get better at it (lest the procrastinator in me takes control again!).

As I began the blog I also started to attend a weekly photography class. It will lead to a qualification and while that's a wonderful thing, it's not the real reason I signed up. For me it's about taking the time to explore what type of photographer I am and want to be. A reason to get into the techniques that I've so far attempted half-heartedly.

Our first assignment was on the theme 'Street', to be interpreted as we see fit (in the time-old tradition). I've always had a love of street photography, a quick browse on my hard drive revealed the majority of pictures on there were of interesting places, buildings and people. My first thought was of the buskers on Grafton Street in Dublin, the undiscovered artists and musicians that captivate us as we make our way from Molly Malone to the Green. Unfortunately jet-setting for my photography is not yet on the agenda (perhaps one day).

During a trip into Birmingham's city centre, I spied a fellow enthusiast capturing some images of Victoria Square. I quickly took my picture whilst he photographed the beautiful buildings and a statue of 'Ole Queen Vic herself. It was only afterwards I remembered, when I bought my first DSLR I stood in almost the same place and photographed the same things. What first looked like an interesting composition now has a lot of meaning for me. Below is the first photograph I took in 2007 after purchasing a Canon 400D.