Three years ago I had no more photography skills than your average amateur wielding a camera. Armed with a digital camera I’d received for Christmas, I had no formal training –  just plenty of enthusiasm and a fascination for great images.

Since that day in 2007, I’ve been thrilled to show my impressionist work as part of a successful collective exhibition during last year’s Auckland Photography Festival, and to have exhibited my work online alongside several international photographers. 

When I started out, taking photos was merely an exercise in “point and shoot” – I saw something I liked and photographed it. I wasn’t thinking about composition, light, shade, or any other aspect of the creative process.

I simply enjoyed taking pictures – but it wasn’t enough. 20,000 pictures or so later, my work was not displayed in any galleries or museums, and others didn’t share my excitement in the photos I was taking. So I started again – from the beginning.
 
I learned how to use the camera properly, read books on the subject, subscribed to various photography magazines, attended workshops and generally absorbed myself in the art of creating images.
 


To my delight, my photography started to change. Now I was on a quest for light, shade and perspective to make my pictures not only interesting, but beautiful. Once I’d learnt the conventional rules, I was able to twist them, and found that doing so allowed me to produce pictures that were unconventional, but truly unique. Ironically, I’d needed to work in a structured way before I could break out of that structure and try new ways of working.
 
I’ve always been interested in many kinds of art, and am inspired by a number of poets, writers, artists and other photographers.

However, I take particular inspiration from the French Impressionist painters, not only for the dreamy quality of their work, but also for their attitude to life. Unappreciated by their contemporaries, they were unafraid to break rules in order to create something unique and original, and that’s a part of the creative process I’ve really come to identify with.
 
My breakthrough came when I was attending an impressionist photography workshop.

Fascinated by the dreamy, painterly images I was presented with, I decided this was the kind of work I would love to produce. Set the task of producing five images to take back to class the next day, I wandered aimlessly, frustrated at my lack of creativity. Never was the maxim “nothing worth doing is easy” more true for me than on this day. I persevered, until in true Impressionist spirit, I gave in and allowed myself to experiment. This freed me creatively, and as a result, I discovered new ways of making photographs, and a whole new way of expressing myself.

Suddenly, it didn’t matter what others thought about the images I was producing – I had found a way to express myself, and in turn, I found new meaning and enjoyment in shooting.
 
Creating my own images has forced me to look more carefully at the world, and metaphorically speaking, discovering photography has also been a journey of self-discovery. It has encouraged me to try new things, not limit myself creatively, and ultimately, to discover that my images have the power to really move people – which is more rewarding than I ever could have imagined.
 
Looking towards the future, my immediate focus is on my upcoming exhibition Tides of Light, a visual exploration of the West Coast of Auckland.

I have a real affinity for that region; it’s where I create most of my work, so I’m delighted to have the opportunity to share it, especially in my first solo exhibition. When it comes to longer term goals, of course, I’d like to continue with photography, exploring new ideas and growing as an artist. After all, being able to successfully do what you love is, I believe, one of the most fulfilling things life can offer.


Tides of Light opens on Saturday, 19 June at The Depot Artspace in Devonport on Auckland’s North Shore. 

Visit www.evapolak.com for more info.