Photographs are among the most emotive things we collect over the course of our lives; a sepia toned photo of a grandparent who passed away can bring us to tears, just as that sunny iPhone selfie from that trip overseas can bring a smile back to our face.
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You can look at that holiday photo and recall the day that you had: The beach where the sand was as white as snow, the bar where cocktails cost less than a coffee and the smell of food from a street vendor.
Through the media, and increasingly via social media, we also see photos that connect us to the subject.
Maybe it's something from a war-torn corner of the world, a farmer suffering drought in the Australian outback or a sportsperson giving the high five to a teammate as they win a final.
As press photographers, every time we step out and cover an event we're not only informing the public of what's happening, we're also making our own memories that come flooding back when we look at that image years later.
Jake Birtwhistle's breakthrough win at the 2015 Devonport Triathlon is just one of the hundreds of images I could have chosen to share from my last 12 years at The Examiner.
It wasn't quite a come from behind win, but he certainly put his opponents to the sword in the final stage of the run home.
When I look at this image, I remember the smell of the freshly cut grass from the nearby playing fields, the taste of a BBQ hamburger with the lot I had for lunch, the warmth of the summer's sun on my skin- yes I got sunburnt that day.
I remember talking to the gracious victor, and him happily agreeing to take my phone and talk to my colleague, Phil Edwards, who was back in the Launceston office despite all the attention the press on site were placing on him.
The buzz, that feeling of excitement snapping away as a local had just beaten some of the best in the world was something I'll never forget.
It's times like those that motivate you as a photographer.
Sharing the stories of locals in their times of triumph and also their disappointment.
The personal memories we get to take away are an added bonus.
I, and all the photographers here at The Examiner, look forward to sharing with you our best photos, the images we wish we could shoot again and passing on our knowledge via this newsletter.
Cheers,
Scott Gelston | Photographer
Scott Gelston
Photographer, music lover and sports fan.
Photographer, music lover and sports fan.
