I recently had some of my camera equipment in need of repair quite unexpectedly. When I contacted Nikon for service they could not have been more helpful and prompt in resolving my problems.
The situation caused me to look up the shutter counts on my cameras. While the numbers were high on each body I instantly began to think of all the pictures I had taken since acquiring them.
I found myself thinking about the smile that my work gives not only to the people that I photograph but to myself included.
Not every person likes the photo that I take of them. We tend to be so very critical of how we look (myself included) and tend to find fault within a photograph of ourselves easily. When I look at a photo I've taken I not only see the image in front of me but recall the process and moments involved while capturing that image - whether it's the personal interaction or at times an observation of another person just being themselves or merely a special place that I stopped to sit or wander about for a while.
I don't look at my cameras as "equipment" per se, but rather as an instrument that's operated by me to bring life into view. When the day comes that I worry more about shutter click counts rather than the joy of shooting I will have lost a precious gift.
A gift that I never plan on losing.
I have gathered together a collection of some images that I've taken throughout this past year while
clicking those shutters!
enjoy,
k