Moving on...

I left Edinburgh yesterday and spent the night at a friend's house in Dunfermline - we chatted about art and travel and photography as all three are shared interests. I shall miss our monthly excursions to sketch things or photograph things or simply to enjoy coffee and conversation. It was Colin who introduced me to a form of watercolour sketching that is small enough to carry with me all the time and will be going with me to Missoula. If only photographic equipment was so light in weight!

This past week has included a lot of exercise that is useful training for lifting heavy things: it's called moving house. In my case it has meant moving from a small flat to a small self-store storage space. For some reason this has involved a much larger number of boxes than I had expected, a much larger storage space than I had imagined, and many trips in a vehicle full of boxes, both on my own and with the help of a friend - thanks, Archie. Fitting things into the storage space has been an interesting challenge akin to a 3D jigsaw puzzle, one repeated as I loaded up my very small car with lots of things to take with me to my new address in the Midlands.

So here I am, half way between Edinburgh and my folks' house that will be a base while I'm away. In a few hours time I'll be in the Midlands. In 10 days time I'll be in Montana.

Time to move on.

Thoughts at the end of Day 1

Some thoughts as I sit here at the end of the first day of working for myself...

Quotes from the RMSP Student bulletin board from former students who will be back to assist the 2011 intake:

"You are about to embark on one of the biggest and best journeys of your life. Rest up and get that shutter release finger ready because this summer is going to be all about good times, good friends and AWESOME PHOTOGRAPHY!"  Ben Reed.

"RMSP was a life-changing experience for me and I look forward to  helping each of you reach your goals during your time in Missoula" James White.

"Get ready for one of the most amazing summers of your life! It is intense, it is work, but it is learning what you love... so rest up my new friends! You are about to embark on an adventure, one that will show you the world through a whole new lens. You will be surrounded by people who share your passions and spark your creativity. So get ready, come with an open mind and your shutter finger ready to be put to work! As with everything it is what you put into it, so come prepared for the exciting journey that is in front of you! Its going to be great, and I am humbled to be a part of it" Mary Brunst.

"When I left for Missoula, I didn't really know what I was in for. I knew I loved photography and so my only real expectation while going to RMSP was to learn as much as I could and have fun while doing it. Mission accomplished for both those goals and as an added bonus, I found I that I wanted to keep doing this stuff for the rest of my life. I had to leave Missoula at the end of the summer (It's not that easy, you'll see.)..." Dan Doran

"Amplifying my excitement in meeting you and helping you achieve your goals while simultaneously affording myself the opportunity to again be surrounded by so many diverse and talented instructors, staff and fellow assistants is a unique and valuable characteristic that clearly distinguishes RMSP as a very special school".  Brenda Lindstrom

"This is going to be a very exciting summer for you and for me as well. Two years ago I too was fortunate to attend Summer Intensive, Professional Studies and Advanced Intensive. Like some of you, I was anxious, excited, had no idea what to expect and wondered would I fit in. Well let me tell you it was the best thing I could have done for myself. I met the most caring, knowledgeable, helpful and warm-hearted instructors, assistants and staff. You too will soon discover that RMSP is a family, and you will make many new friends for life"  Rita Pignato

And finally from Neil Chaput de Saintonge who, with his wife Jeanne, founded RMSP in 1988:

"For those of you who have not spent a summer in Montana you are in for a treat.  Sunny almost all of the time, temperatures averaging in the 80’s and 90’s, and almost no humidity.  The beauty of Montana is breathtaking and the outdoor activities seem endless.

Missoula is a “cool” college town with extremely friendly people and so many great, inexpensive places to eat. Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park are both within driving distance making your shooting possibilities great.  But, most of all it is the people.  You will find yourself surrounded by so many loving staff members, teachers, and fellow students.  Most people who come to SI say it is one of the best experiences of their lives.  It will also be one of your busiest but you will be doing something that you love".


One of my fellow students for this summer posted this link to a song.  It sums things up pretty well I think.

Being a photographer is not about taking pictures.

Being a photographer is not about taking pictures.

I was thinking about photography as I walked home this evening after a lovely meal out with my daughter. Today was my first day of not being a business analyst, so if I’m no longer that what do I say I if anyone should ask?  Should I describe myself in terms of what I was yesterday or in terms of the photographer I want to be tomorrow? Then it crossed my mind that perhaps being a photographer is not even about taking pictures; photography is, but what about being a photographer?

I saw a photography exhibition in Glasgow today. Many of the photographs featured everyday people in their everyday setting. Nothing unusual about that until you realise the photographs were by a man named John Thomson and were taken in China between 1868 and 1872.  I’ve taken a couple of photographs today using a phone camera and posted them online within minutes. John Thomson used large glass plates to record each picture and had to take portable developing equipment with him. His equipment and collections of images were so heavy they needed several people to carry them.

So was John Thomson a photographer?  Are any of the millions of others who posted photographs online today using their phones photographers? My guess is that if you could ask them most people would say they aren’t photographers. They don’t have a fancy camera, they don’t take good pictures, they would describe themselves as teachers and plumbers and waiters and students and any number of other labels - but not as photographers. They do photography but they aren’t photographers.  A proper photographer is someone who does it for a living, so at best they would call themselves amateur photographers. Given that the word amateur derives from the Latin for love I’d say that John Thomson was definitely a lover of photography – a dedicated amateur in the true sense of the word who made remarkable pictures.

Does that mean someone who takes a photograph and is paid for it is a photographer? What about someone who took a snap at some significant event and sold it to a newspaper?  At what point do you cease to be a plumber and become a professional snapper? Is it after one sold photo, or five, or twenty-five?  I once heard a professional photographer speak about how he used to be a plumber, albeit on the large scale rather than domestic pipework. He was given a camera as a gift, started to take sports photographs because that was what he was interested in, eventually sold some to the local newspaper, and had his big break when he took some iconic images of a tragic disaster.  He eventually decided to give up plumbing and do paid photography full time. It strikes me that it wasn’t getting the camera that made him a professional, or getting good sports pictures, or selling them, or even taking images that would be instantly recognisable throughout the world. My guess is he became a professional photographer when he decided to be one.

Which brings me back to my musings as I walked home this evening. Being a photographer is not so much about taking pictures as deciding. It doesn’t happen when someone gives you a certificate to say you’ve mastered f-stops and apertures.  It doesn’t happen because you’d like to be one, or even hope to be one someday, it doesn’t happen because you can take a pretty good picture. You become a professional photographer when you decide to be one. 

Last Week at Work

The weeks seem to have flown by this year, though the list of things to do has not quite kept pace. As I write this the calendar on the student bulletin board for RMSP says there are only 35 days to go to the start of the course. Happily I've made inroads into the backlog this past week which is just as well as tomorrow I start my last 4 days at work... paid work doing a job for an employer that is. The remainder of the month will be taken up by packing and storing my things, vacating the flat, and learning as much as I can before I go.

One of last year's students back this year as an assistant describes it like this: "Get ready for one of the most amazing summers of your life! It is intense, it is work, but it is learning what you love".  Another former student also back as an assistant writes: "...I'll be able to relate to you and lend a helping hand when you're in the middle of the semester with 5 deadlines to meet and your heads are spinning from all the cool new stuff you've learned".

Somehow I think I'll be working pretty hard between June and the end of October - and I am certain I'll enjoy it.