€1000 Caroline Allington, UK

My photography journey began a long time ago when I was a childcare provider. I would photograph the children’s daily adventures so their parents could see what they’d been up to while they were at work. It wasn’t until my own 4th child was born that I really learnt how to use a camera properly. I now photograph both for myself and my own pleasure but also for others, a special moment in time that they would like captured and remembered. For myself, I love to photograph anything that I think is beautiful or brings me joy. That can be quite impulsive, if for example the light is particularly beautiful that evening. That is usually the deciding factor, if the light is beautiful then you can’t go too far wrong!

ABOUT THE PICTURES

For me, this competition, titled ‘Joy’ is everything I strive to capture on my photo shoots, whether it be my clients and their families, weddings or my own children. Isn’t it everything we hope for in life? Even if it is a very fleeting moment of joy, those wonderful moments and memories are the reason I do this. To look back at this wonderful moment, frozen in time and by looking back, hopefully the viewer is able to relive that moment again. And even more wonderful would be somebody who wasn’t even there, who can get joy from seeing these very special moments and feel the joy within themselves.

I like to have full control of the camera and shoot in manual mode. I have learnt the importance of a good quality lens and absolutely cannot live without my primes. They allow me to shoot very wide open and have a fast shutter speed, which is essential for moving children! I also love the creamy soft background they give that draws the attention to my subjects. My favourite go to lens has been the 85mm f1.2 – I take most of my portraits with this. I also use the Canon 135mm prime. When I go out on a shoot I take both my 5D Mark IV and my R5, usually with the 85mm on one and the 135mm on the other, so I can easily switch between the two.