The Art of Practice

Richard Childs

Richard trained as an Orchestral Percussionist in the 1980's but his true love has always been the outdoors and particularly mountain environments. Throwing in his drumsticks to become a full-time photographer in 2004 he continues to work with a large format camera alongside digital equipment and exhibits his work in solo and group exhibitions as well as at his own gallery in the Ironbridge Gorge. Links to Website and Facebook

Since leading my first photo workshops back in 2007, I have found that there are always one or two clients on each tour who are struggling to find and take successful images. The barrier to this creative freedom more often than not has been the camera itself which is hardly surprising given the amount of features packed into even a budget model these days. With multi-layered menus and so many features at our fingertips it can be easy to forget what a simple act photography can and should be.

I recently came to the realisation that what a highly experienced photographer does is very similar to that of an equally experienced musician. That is to be so totally in control of their instrument that it becomes an extension of them, much more than just a tool that they use to make a sound or an image. That's why there are so many different recorded interpretations of say a Beethoven Piano Concerto, a Prokofiev Violin Concerto, a Puccini opera, etc. Every soloist will bring their own, unique technical prowess AND personality to the performance to create a unique interpretation.