Join John Smart on his journey from photo taker to photographer
“I’ve taken photos for as long as I can remember, starting with “instamatics” leading to SLR cameras with changeable lenses and the need to be frugal “snapping” photos in film. I got my first digital camera in 2004 – a Canon Powershot G3, a Canon 350D DSLR followed soon after and then a Canon 500D with an EOS 17 – 55 mm f2.8 Canon lens.
Digital encouraged me to take even more snaps and re-enthused my excitement at looking through the lens and capturing an image that seemed magic to me at least. I now have the time to go beyond snapping photos and to try to develop as a photographer. This web site is intended to plot that transition or, hopefully, transformation. The galleries and photo shoots will be predominantly of my recent or new work. They should show improvement and progression over time. I upgraded again – to a full frame Canon 6D Mark II camera with a new set of lenses which, coupled with the power of post production editing, helped. I’ve now got my first mirrorless digital camera, the Canon R6 Mark II which has is a significant step up in technology and undoubtedly helps. In addition, the post processing power of Lightroom and Photoshop has also improved dramatically in recent years. But despite these technology advances the essence of a top image is in its composition. Hopefully, I have got better at that over the past 6 years as well. There are also many good digital images in my files from the previous dozen years and they will also be featured from time to time alongside the occasional guest photo and audiovisual or video file.
I am the Beresford in TaylorBeresford (my middle name). Taylor was my sleeping partner until she inherited my Canon 500D. Now you can see her images labelled as taken by Taylor. We lived on a small lifestyle property near the provincial town of Whanganui in the North Island of New Zealand until recently moving into town where we eventually built and moved into a new home. Many of the galleries will feature local or regional or national images with the occasional international photoshoot. I hope you enjoy them and follow my journey from photo taker to photographer.”
John Smart