8 May 2014
Many people in the past have asked whether I had a website after showing them some of my photostudies. My long term ambition was to publish a book of all the “keepers” I had taken over the 40 years of having a camera in my hand. However that would have involved finding a publisher, publishing costs, distribution effort, and lots of selling myself. All this would have ended up with relatives and friends getting a book and cartons of unsold books taking up garage space.
My reluctance for a website (apart from being just adequate on a computer) was finding the time and skill to continually update it. I visit quite a few photographers websites and the ones I continue to visit are the ones that inspire me with great imagery, are regularly updated, and provide information. The information is not normally techniques , I have bought lots of books for that, but test reports, news, philosophy, and especially opinions. Humour is also good.
Clikbing is obviously a very personal website and any opinions or comments I express are current feelings at a certain point in time. I may say something not as a statement of fact but as a start of discussion and would be happy to change my thoughts with the appropriate facts or ideas.
Hence the many comments boxes. I am inviting feedback and discussion. The purpose of the website is to find like-minded individuals (sounds like a dating site) who enjoy photography and strive for interesting images.
I like to look at other photographers images and also art in the hope of finding inspiration. I have a separate page to exhibit another persons photograph. The criteria for that image is that I enjoyed it and possibly found it inspiring. That photo need not be a competition winner either, so don’t be disappointed if your submission is not accepted (I’m open to bribes….). To me the hardest thing is to avoid that cliché. Millions of photos are taken everyday and probably what has been taken has been taken before- there’s the challenge…..
Thanks for viewing my site. Hopefully it will become organic and a few trees have been saved by me not publishing a door stop.
Christopher Bing
An Occasional Photographer
Well thats me, as the heading says, an occasional photographer. I don’t go out much with my camera (s). They get pretty lonely sitting alone in the dark camera bag just feeling their battery juice slowly draining away. Some of my friends are out every day and most do weekends shooting away at whatever moves. This is the photography equivalent to the NRA. Whereas I mostly shoot gigs when hired or wait till a planned vacation and thats when the cameras come out to play. Sometimes I wonder where all the photographs come from. Its more from the accumulation of years experience as opposed to shooting gigabytes of files a day.
Qualifications? None! No letters after my name except for B.D.S. That doesn’t mean “bloody decent shot” as I exclaim out loud in front of the monitor (calibrated). Nowadays less frequently……… I need to get out more! Actually it means Bachelor of Dental Surgery. Thats what takes up alot of my time. Running a busy dental practice and all the chores of running a business as well keeps my weekends busy. Photography has been in my soul for over 40 years. Dentistry has enabled me to support my “habit” with the occasional equipment purchase and travel expenses as well. I’m a well known visitor to Wellington Camera shops on my day off. “Heres that Asian Tyre Kicker” the sales personnel probably whisper under their breath. Then they refer me to the Mercedes Dealer where I may get more attention.
Education? Mostly self taught by reading lots of books and manuals (this guy reads the manual). Now internet forms the bulk of my new knowledge. I had a close mentor when I was at college in Blenheim. At the age of 15 I use to drop into Snapshot House in Blenheim and get advice from Brian Paul, an old school professional photographer. He could print colour negs without an analyser, and do studio lighting without a flashmeter. I learn’t a lot from him and he had the patience to spend time looking at my prints and providing feedback. He printed my good B&W to 20 x 16 inches for me. Yes some of my shots were good enough to be enlarged! When planning my future career at the end of High School I said to Brian I wanted to be a professional photographer. He advised me not to and go to University instead. My parents were relieved…
Experience? A lot less shutter actuations than a lot of people! Most successful photographers tend to develop a style by which they can sell themselves. Me, I’m everywhere. Thats why you have never heard of me. And I hope to keep surprising you. I tend to be a “snatch and grab” sort of photographer. See something, shoot it and move on. Don’t have the time or patience to plan and wait for the shot-not hours anyway but maybe a few minutes. But if people ask me what I like to photograph then I say landscapes and people to generalise. You won’t see HDR, cutsey animals, sport, cars, aeroplanes, flowers, teeth, HDR, macro, stars, underwater, extreme adventure, celebrities and finally HDR to name a few themes available to a photographer.
Lastly I wish to congratulate you for actually getting all the way through my website. Many have died trying!
Many thanks for your support,
Christopher
Sally and Me. Mt John Observatory. Lake Tekapo, NZ
10 August 2013 Nikon D800, iso 200 24mm F16 1/80sec 24-70mm f2.8
