If You Were the Only...

Imagine that all the other photographers in Western Australia have disappeared. Vanished, never to return. Gone painlessly, to leave only you. You, the only person with a camera and a computer and an editing program. You with the only printer and stash of paper. No more shops, no more seminars, no more camera clubs or conferences or product launches. No more art directors or TAFE courses or juried print judging live on the internet. No more photo walks. Just. You. Now...with all the lumber cleared away - all the cacophony stilled - all the hype vanished...Now...what pictures would you take? Where would you go to do it? Why would you take them? Who would you show them to? Answer these questions quietly for yourself and you'll finally understand what you should really be doing with photography. You really do know deep-down what you want to do, but you may never have been able to actually face it. With no-one else around to criticise or compete, you can admit the truth to yourself. Now that you have that knowledge, ask yourself why you don't go out and take those pictures. You have your own advice and your own approval - now is the time to give yourself permission. It's not selfish - because anyone who sees your pictures from now on will benefit from your newly-admitted sense of purpose and honesty. Note: The law frowns on you actively making other photographers disappear, so it would probably be best if you keep this exercise on a mental, rather than practical, basis. If you are still determined to weed out the photographic garden write in and I'll send you out a short list to be going on with...