Unmasking a Photographer

Unmasking a Photographer who has been hiding on Blipfoto.

For the next in our series of profiles we meet with blipper Shine-A-Light, Gordon in real life. He has been with us for nearly 12 years and his journal contains just about every photographic genre known, not to mention some cringeworthy jokes.

Like to know more?
Check out the full interview below along with our short film of Gordon’s Top Ten blips and don’t forget to visit his journal and say hello here.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

This is where I say as little as possible as protecting my online privacy has always been really important to me. I live just north of Glasgow. I like photography. This is going to be the most boring profile ever.

Actually I stayed 100% anonymous on Blip for about 2 years until someone I knew dropped my name into a comment and immediately everyone started calling me Gordon. There is no hiding place on Blip!

In my spare time, I like photo editing, travel, sport, reading, walking, yoga, and currently getting hooked on Chess.

How did you become interested in photography?

I can’t remember a time I wasn’t interested in photography. Even as a child I was keen to take the family photographs. I particularly took loads of photographs on holiday to the extent that the photography became the most important aspect of the holiday. I then met someone at a fencing club who told me about the local camera club. I joined that and then started to enter competitions etc.

35mm slides were my preferred medium and with digital photography I don’t believe we are quite at the level of quality we achieved on slides taken on Fuji Velvia or Kodachrome. There was nothing to beat seeing your winning transparency projected directly onto a huge screen.

What have been your favourite subjects for photography?

That has been ever changing. I’m probably a jack of all trades and master of none. It's important to me to enjoy photography and keep it interesting. So I like to keep evolving and changing. For example I used to specialise in Still Life but can barely remember the last one I did. I’ve done portraiture, wildlife, sport, architecture etc etc.

When I’m really pushed I usually answer ‘Event Photography’.
Events are perfect for taking hundreds of photographs in a short space of time, and that’s when I’m happiest. My favourite event was the Nottinghill Carnival. I used to go there almost every year.

Has photography helped you connect with people?

It was never a motivation, but yes it has. I’m a bit of a loner but I do sometimes enjoy going with some like minded photographers to a location or an event ,

What started you blipping?

I had some former colleagues (from Scottish tourism) who joined Blip in the early days, and because they know of my interest in photography they contacted me and invited me to join in which I eventually did. At that time it seemed like 2 out of every 3 blippers were from Edinburgh.
I felt a responsibility to help the small band of Glasgow blippers to provide some balance. That seems strange when I think about it now and how global Blipfoto has become, but I remember back then going through to Edinburgh one day and hiding from everyone I saw with a camera so I didn’t appear on their Blip. Edinburgh was awash with Blippers!

What do you enjoy about the concept?

It makes me use my camera every day. (Have you ever sold an old camera and checked the number of actuations before selling it? Mine are always through the roof!). It also builds up a good historical reference of what has been going on in your life and I’ve found it useful on a number of occasions to pinpoint dates or events. Helps towards making a case for the defence!

How would you describe your journal?

A bit of a mixed bag. I do find it frustrating at times that some days I can be at an excellent location with ideal light and return home with 20 images I’m really happy with. Then for the next week its raining and overcast and it’s a struggle to get a decent Blip. But I no longer feel any pressure as I did in the early days. If I go a few weeks without a good or interesting Blip it doesn’t really matter – one will turn up tomorrow.

One thing that may surprise you is that if one day I come home with a superb photograph and an inferior funny / quirky image, then the latter will be my Blip for the day. I’ll use the super photograph for something else.

Its similar with subject matter, I’d rather post an inferior picture for a bit of variety than to repeat a subject I’ve had the last few days.

Do you have a photographic style?

I have friends who have their own Landscape or Portrait style, but any style I develop usually only lasts for a few months or maybe a year and then I move onto something else. For me it's all about keeping it interesting.

How important is the journaling side to you?

Not too important. Because I like to protect my privacy I don’t go into a lot of detail and I stay clear of family, politics, religion (around here that means football) and controversy. But I’m quite happy to read other blippers going into great detail on these subjects, or having a rant. That’s the beauty of Blip – we can all set our own rules and boundaries within the blipfoto rules.

ABOUT BLIPFOTO

Why Blipfoto?

The photo-a-day concept is a real challenge and a real pain at times, but that’s what makes it addictive.

How has daily blipping impacted on your life generally?

I found out a lot more about my own area and tried a bit harder to find interesting and sometimes quirky photographic subjects. During first lockdown I took part in a Facebook challenge where a daily photographic subject was set and we had to submit images that met the subject. No matter what subject they came up with I could find images in my Blip journal which matched it.

What’s the biggest challenge with daily blipping?

When the weather conditions are poor and you aren’t going anywhere interesting, you aren’t going to get a good photograph. I just accept that now. And maybe I can find a funny Blip for that day – only problem is I’m usually the only one who finds it funny.

What does the Blipfoto community mean to you?

It's been a lot better and a lot more important than I ever expected it to be. I tend to have a group of fellow blippers I interact with almost daily, then another group where it is more like weekly or even monthly. And yet another group I’d like to interact with but can’t find the time. But these groups change over time. There is almost no one around from my inner circle when I first started although there are a few who were around almost from the start of my blip journey.

One amazing thing is that the first person who commented on my first blip was a wildlife photographer from Florida who became a lifelong friend and I’ve visited many times. A bit later there was another from Montana who made the journey over to Scotland. The others I have actually met and become friends with are much closer to home! I even know a Blipfoto Marketing Ambassador!

What motivates you to keep blipping?

I used to set myself targets. For example I was documenting the demise of the Red Roads Flats in Glasgow (at one time the largest multi story tower blocks in Europe). And the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 was another target that kept me going. But now its just the fact that there is such a big chunk of my life in there that its good to keep adding to it. And over the last few years I’ve been working on the Art UK Sculpture Digitalisation Project, and the Ghost Signs of Glasgow Project and they sit quite well alongside Blipping.

What would you say to other blippers or people who are considering signing up?

Give it a try. You’ve got nothing to lose, but a word of warning – it may become addictive!

Shine-A-Light's Top 10

Gordon has shared his favourite ten blips with us - enjoy them here in this short film.


__________


We hope you’ve enjoyed our latest blipper profile and would like to thank those of you who have sent in suggestions for community members to interview.  Please keep them coming!
 
If you know of blippers that you think other people will find interesting, please contact us at marketing@blipfoto.com and tell us their journal name and why you'd like us to interview them.


Thank you
Richard & Bex


(blippers richard & WharfedaleBex)