Then and Now

I sometimes find it interesting to look at my work taken 4 years ago and put it next to the work that I am producing now. I can remember what my passions were then, how they helped me take the photographs, and how they help me now. The first thing that I notice is that the underlying passion is the same. That part doesn't seem to change. What strikes me is how different the work is - and it happened without me even realising it. The style just morphed bit by bit. There wasn't a giant leap from one type of photo to another - it was an accumulation of hundreds of tweaks and thoughts and wild ideas. And so long as the passion was still there and the photos gave me that buzz then I went with it.

One way that helps me understand what is happening is to realise that my work 4 years ago was fresh with influence from many other photographers - all tugging and pulling me in different directions - creating a nice, but common style that didn't require too much searching as it had all been done before. I imagine that at this point I was standing at the mouth of a metaphoric cave - the light from other photographers showing me the way. But then to tenderly step into the cave - with your own dim light showing you the way and not knowing what is ahead - with no other point of reference - the fading light of the outside behind you. The deeper you go the less light you get from outside - and the more you rely on your own light to choose what to do.

Maybe it is a bit odd to think this way but it helps me explain the differences between these two images -

                                                                          Mwnt,  2007

                                                                  Cwmpengraig, 2010