This week we’re getting to know community member, Joe Kennedy. Joe discovered the exciting and challenging world of digital photography back in 2005. Since then he has invested his time and talents in local camera clubs hoping to better define who he can be photographically and to further refine those skills needed to feel a sense of accomplishment in the world of photography.
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How did you get started in photography?
“I think for me the real question is when I got serious about photography. I always had an interest but it was a happening in my backyard that convinced me that I needed better equipment to capture the situation. A small snake was slowly devouring a frog and my Kodak Instamatic was not doing the moment justice. It was then that I decided to get an SLR and lenses!”
What was your first camera?
“As mentioned previously, I had a small Instamatic camera to capture family moments and travel events. I thought it was just all I needed until that aforementioned ‘snake and frog.'”
Who is one photographer that inspires you and why?
“I’m going to probably shock those reading this but I do not have any one photographer who was my inspiration. Sure, I looked at the works of many of the iconic people behind the lens but no one stood out with a style that made me want to mimic their work or genre. I’ll continue to look over what’s being published photographically and get back to you if one fits the title, ‘Most Inspired!'”
What’s the first thing you look for in composing your image?
“Again, there is no one thing I look for but there is a ‘feeling’ I get when I come upon a scene or situation. The challenge is now to stop, look around and try to capture that initial feeling on my lens. There have been times, many times, when there turned out to be nothing there BUT a look over my shoulder or a closer tighter shot became the moment.
“Since I consider myself first a landscape photographer, I am constantly relying on my trusty tripod for the shot. This simple device does slow me down when composing the scene. Also, my efforts in post-processing have further refined my imagery.”
Join Joe and others in the Photofocus Community!
If you’d like the opportunity to be featured like Joe, join the community here. More than that though, it’s a great place to meet other photographers, share images and talk about all things photography.
Joe, I know what you mean about the ‘feeling’ that there’s a photo in what you’re looking at. I call it ‘the buzz’.
This is the ‘thing’ that I think is missing sometimes from images. It takes practice to feel it. In my opinion, anyway.