Destinations Through Journeys: A Personal Reflection
Destination: noun: the place to which someone or something is going or being sent
Journey: noun: an act of travelling from one place to another
Journeys can be more than just physical travels; they can encompass every moment that shapes our lives. A chance encounter, a fleeting conversation, or even a simple memory can be a journey in itself, revealing layers of meaning and emotion that resonate with us.
My journey into photography began in my childhood, my father was a keen photographer and captured all those moments that were special and those that were just every day. I grew up like so many others during the 70’s surrounded by the laughter and joy of family slide nights, as my siblings and I grew older into our teens my father would spontaneously make the statement of “we are doing a slide night, grab all the gear” hahahaha initially there was eyerolls and “seriously!?” along with many other comments one would expect from ‘too cool for school’ teenagers. But we would pin the bed sheet up against the wall, set up snacks and drinks while my father set up his slide projector – he sat at the table working the machine, mum usually sat beside him, and we lounged on pillows on the floor in front of them. And like magic!! within minutes we would all be enthralled, laughing, and teasing each other, recalling stories of those times in the slides. These snapshots in time, captured on film, became windows into our past, evoking cherished memories and emotions. Even the simplest images, like those from small Kodak cameras on family holidays, hold a wealth of meaning when viewed through the lens of time.
I mentioned Kodak cameras as it was the first I ever owned, Mum and Dad bought all 4 of us kids a Kodak Tele-Instamatic each (I believe this is what it was called) and to us they were like gold, we were being entrusted to take photos on our holidays just like our Dad did. I remember we just wanted to press that button again and again, but we learnt very quickly there is only so many photos you can take on film cameras and ‘money doesn’t grow on trees’. (Hahahaha am certain many will know that saying quite fondly.) Then came the wait, it felt like forever, we would take our precious roll of film to the developer and have to wait a couple of days. I came to love this anticipation of collecting my processed photos to see how they came out, were they what I expected…. every time there were wins and losses.
Over the years, my passion for photography has only deepened. I enrolled in a few night classes to learn more about black and white photography and how to develop film into negatives and then photos. My camera went everywhere with me. Eventually as the digital age came in, I resisted for quite a while until it became too difficult with the demands of work and just life in general, so I switched to DSLR. Took me a couple of years to be happy using it, and even now I still wait to press that shutter button as though I have a roll of film in my camera.
I have travelled many places in this amazing world of ours, met wonderful, crazy, fascinating, courageous people everywhere I have been. Seen the most intense beauty of life, often that no word encapsulates what is before our eyes, not even a photo can truly do justice but is the closest to what nature gives us. There have been many journeys within my journey, whether it be a conversation with someone, or moving home, or travelling or even having an epiphany of my own.
Each photo I take, whether of a flower or a cityscape, is a piece of my journey, a moment frozen in time. These images serve as markers of where I've been, what I've experienced, and who I've become. They are stories waiting to be shared, connecting me to those around me and evoking memories that span a lifetime. So, a journey is not just an act of travelling from one place to another in the traditional physical sense, it is a movement through life with destinations all along the way.
I believe that photos have a unique power to transport us back to a specific moment in time, to make us laugh, cry, or simply reflect on the passage of time. They capture not just the moment, but the essence of the journey, and all the emotions and experiences that come with it.
As I share my photos with you, I hope to evoke memories and inspire new adventures. Whether it's through familiar landscapes or distant cities, I want my images to spark a sense of wonder and curiosity, encouraging others to explore their own passions and embrace their own journeys.
In the end, the success of my journey isn’t just about the photos I capture or the places I visit. It’s about the courage to embark on this website journey, to navigate the technical challenges, and to share my passion with others. This website is a destination in my journey, a reflection of my life experiences and the stories I’ve gathered along the way. Over the years I have surrounded myself with images of the past, filling my space with photos reminding me of who I am, where I have been and inspires me to create more memories, experience more moments. From there was born the idea to create this website offering my images of places and nature and moments for you to fill your space with your stories. Not everyone takes photos, my images can be your images as they hold not only my stories but also your stories.
I invite you to explore this digital gallery, where each image is a piece of my journey, a snapshot of the world as I see it.
And to finish this off, a quote because who doesn’t love a good quote 😊
“She glances at the photo, and the pilot light of memory flickers in her eyes” – Frank Deford
