My Photo History
www.lorrainefernando.com/My photographic experience was spotty for many years. At age 12, I won my first camera in a dart-and-balloon game at Expo '67 in Montréal. I was so excited and ran to tell my mom. The guy running the booth called after me, “Don’t get too excited kid … it’s only worth a buck!” Little did he know that camera would make a comeback decades later … it was one of the original Diana cameras, now enjoying a resurgence in popularity as part of the Lomography movement. (No, I don't have it anymore.)
I went through a few more cameras, including a Kodak Duaflex III passed down from my mom when I was in high school. The flash unit was as big as the camera and a box of 12 flashbulbs took the space of 4 compact cameras of today. That one is still in working order but my special talent with cameras after that seemed to be causing them to malfunction. At one point, I owned two that broke within a few days of each other, one with a loud “Pop!” and something melting if I recall. When I borrowed another from a friend for holiday pictures, it worked fine for everyone except me. A boyfriend taught me a few basic concepts of image composition and let me use his expensive camera equipment a few times but I still couldn’t be trusted with a good camera. I actually traveled in Italy for three weeks with only disposable cameras. (Shameful I know but a perfect excuse to go back and experience it all again!) On top of these challenges, my eye for colour and composition, evident in my other pursuits, didn’t seem to translate to film. Fast forward to my first digital camera, bought three days before a trip to Ireland. What a revelation … for some reason I was finally able to create some decent images. I filled my memory card and, while most of them weren’t great, I picked my favourites and created my first photo book upon my return. That was the beginning of a new love. Today, photography is one of my favourite creative outlets. I certainly enjoy the process … wandering with my camera at hand and learning to see the world differently, whether in my travels or in my own backyard in Ottawa, Canada. I thank my very talented friends Henry Fernando and Lorraine Fernando for introducing me to contemplative photography, which requires a slowing down, noticing your surroundings and seeing things just as they are. I am happy to create photos that stand well on their own but my real passion is using my images as a springboard to create something new … a vision sparked by the scene before me and ignited by playing and experimenting afterwards, hence the name "SECond Perception Photo Art". My hope is that my visions ignite something in you as well. |