John Edkins 

Photographer

I developed a love for photography at a young age when I first used my Dad’s Rolleicord twin-lens reflex camera to take photos of train sets and plastic models.  I bought my first single-lens reflex camera, a Pentax, as a teenager and my favourite subjects were my friends and landscapes.  It was mostly B&W photography in those days and I was taught by my uncle how to develop film and prints in the darkroom.  Watching a print develop was a magical experience.

As a photographer, I have a very simple philosophy - I try to create beautiful and interesting images.  Ideally, my images should be iconic without being clichéd.  My usual output medium is my website, but I also prepare and sell framed prints and jpegs.

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My website presents a rather wide variety of photographic subjects and styles.  A friend once advised me to find a specialty and stick with it.  This was perhaps a good suggestion, but I thought it would be very limiting.  So, I explore many subjects, including landscapes, flowers, nature, people, architecture, abstracts, birds, and macro photography.

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I attempt to look at a subject with a view to capturing its essence, trying to eliminate the extraneous.  I am drawn to scenes and objects by the presence of lines and shapes, shadows, reflections, contrast, colour and simplicity.  I like colour but I love black & white.

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The introduction of digital cameras and Photoshop opened up new possibilities for creativity.  I consider much of my latest work, which entails a fair degree of computer manipulation, to be "photo art.”

I derive my inspiration from two main sources.  For the most part I find that walking around with my camera will usually result in something good - my surroundings are full of latent images just waiting to be captured.  If I need outside inspiration I will go to an art gallery and view the masters.  I owe a debt of thanks to my father, who possessed the photographic eye, and my uncle, who first introduced me to the magical darkroom.

John Edkins

613-519-2591

edkinsphoto.com

facebook.com/john.edkins