I've recently taken up photography. The move was partly inspired by photographer friends of mine whose photos I pore over the second they appear on their photoblogs. The second reason is because I wanted to record a little of my everyday life.

Photography is more than 90% preparation. I want to capture the exact moment a bird flies out of a tree, so I wait, ready to click the moment it takes flight. Problems arise when the bird doesn't fly in the direction I expected it to. The moment is lost; sometimes, never to be captured again.

I love sculptures and statues and I think that this is my photography 'thing.' I like the idea of making them the 'story in the picture.' There are some great public sculptures in London. I try to avoid the touristy areas, but once in a while, I come across some real gems. The other day, I was out in the park doing my power walk thing when I came upon several tree stumps (picture will follow once I get my act together). There was nothing remarkable about the stumps, but to me they were the most remarkable things about that park. Yet someone else would look at them and keep on walking. 

So, you see, photography is all about perception.

I'm an amateur photographer, but what I've learnt so far from my new obsession, hobby, has impacted my writing positively. Like writers, photographers present their work to the world and the world interprets that work as they wish. But for them to do that, the world must see, although not necessarily understand, the story the image is telling. If the image is not saying anything to the viewer, then perhaps, the photographer has not been successful in conveying the message. Translated into writer-speak, if the story I'm telling is not saying anything at all, then I, as a writer have failed.

I'm ordering my first ever photography software tonight. Can't wait!