The Photographer's Journey with Dr Simon Ruffle

For several years I've been exploring the subject of the journey we all embark on as photographers.   

It really is just like a journey with a beginning and a middle, but it has no end (it goes on forever).  It has all the qualities of a great adventure with highs and lows, it has pitfalls and moments of elation.  And like real journeys, some elements take a long time to get anywhere and others are reached in the blink of an eye.

There is no right or wrong, and no perfect journey (although sometimes, when we struggle with certain aspects of our own photography, the journey can seem a bit tedious).   

When photographers get together and start talking about their own experiences it's amazing how many similarities we share.  Who hasn't had frustrations, who hasn't had moments when they felt like giving up?    Sharing stories is a sobering exercise that puts our problems into perspective.  We realise that we're not alone and that everyone else has (at one time or another) been through exactly the same challenges. 

In this episode of Tog-Talk Dr Simon Ruffle talks about his Photographer's journey and we explore a range of side issues that examine photography from the traveller's perspective.

Tog-Talk is photographers talking, photographers in conversation.  Come and be part of this one.


Need more..?
If you want to know a bit more, check out my Tog-Talk website which usually has photos and additional words of guidance: www.tog-talk.com

Mentioned in the Conversation:

Link to Topaz Labs software
This is excellent software which goes way beyond what Photoshop or Lightroom are capable of in terms of getting rid of unwanted ISO noise.  It uses AI (artificial intelligence), which has been trained on millions of images.  With this knowledge, it removes unwanted noise from your photos and sharpens all the soft, blurry bits for you.  It's a very clever piece of software.

Improving your photography
I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to this broadcast and I hope that you have found it interesting as well as entertaining.   If you're looking to improve your photography and you live close enough to our training centre in Fleet, Hampshire, you could attend one of our workshops (or our longer courses) in both photography and photo editing.

If you're at the beginning of your photography journey you might find this one-day introduction, just what you're looking for:

• Introduction To Photography (1-day Workshop)

Run four times a year, this one-day photography workshop will equip you with the knowledge you need to move from simply being a camera-owner… to becoming a real photographer!  Whether you're photographing your kids, snapping your holidays or you're hoping to progress your photography to a more creative level, you'll still need a solid grasp of the basics.

Want something more?
Alternatively, If you want a course that raises the bar, something to immerse yourself in for a whole year, you'll want to join our Photography Masterclass.  Run twice a year, with intakes during Spring and Autumn, it is our core workshop.

• The Photography Masterclass (one-year course)

Students on the Photography Masterclass will build a solid foundation of technical and creative skills.  They will learn not only how their cameras work and how to shoot with a creative eye, but there are modules on photographing people, working with flash, shooting landscapes, macro photography, as well as two modules on editing.

This is a ten-module photography course with photo assignments between sessions.  Each session lasts three and a half hours and will include time to examine assignment images and take part in practicals (where appropriate).

Test Your Knowledge

Or you could simply test your photography knowledge and have a go at our free Photography Assessment Tool