You are now in my world of photography, where I spend most of my time now. It was once a place of film, dark rooms, and enlargers occupied time and space, creating images of black and white. Today, it’s all about the pixels and digital files, filled with color, detail… instant gratification – and it is wonderful.
I’ve always gravitated toward photography, even when it was a secondary part of my career. As a marketing executive, I frequently produced all of the photography I needed. This included use of 4 x 5, 120, 35mm film. Over the last 20 years, I started capturing all of the images digitally, starting with the 2000 Kim Lighting Landscape catalog – using a Canon G series digital camera, which was one of the first camera makers to offer connection to a PC, allowing us to view the images full size as we went. Since then, all of my film cameras have found new homes, thanks to ebay and a healthy population of film committed luddites.
I still miss the control and quality of large format and the feel of a Linhof Technika setup. I will always have a warm spot for the direct simplicity of it. But… That little tear in my eye dries right up when I get behind the lens of my latest gear, a Canon R5 – Mirrorless, 45MP, full frame sensor, 8K video – with its shocking array of tools. This is the upgrade of upgrades for the work I enjoy doing. As Tim Allen would say.. Grrr Arrr, R-R-R!
I do still have a Nikon D70 (8MP) I use in harsh conditions, where it’s likely to get beat up, a Canon G7X compact 20MP with 4K video that is amazing in its own right for portability and Vlogging, and a little Canon SX210 (14MP) with 14X optical zoom, that is a great little backpack camera that generates surprisingly nice images. I don’t have the piles of old gear stacking up, I sell off what I am not using. These are the go-to tools, not girlfriends. I also have the Note 10+ which has excellent 12MP cameras and 4K video capability, which is capable of capturing some levels of bokeh, which most phone gear can’t do.
Being able to jump from what I see in the camera to a laptop screen immediately, including controlling the camera functions within the image preview, then dropping the images I select directly onto the server? This is magic! I picked a great time to make a late career move from the daily effort of management into image creation.
It’s Not Just the Gear
While all the gear is cool, what is most intriguing is the subject matter.
I am an auto, motorcycle, architectural, and machine enthusiast. Providing services to other enthusiasts and to industries serving these interests, through the lens of cameras, is a dream come true. I enjoy doing simple vehicle inspections using photography at the primary communication tool and brief summaries of what I see.
As an architectural and interior design enthusiast capturing images of buildings and spaces within is a truly satisfying. The hunt for the right combination of lens, lighting, and position, to capture the perfect image of a subject is truly intriguing.
On top of this, current AI driven image processing for enlargements and refinement is allowing the art of photography to be realized, without bleeding to heavily for it.
In Retirement There is New Life
I enjoyed the 40 years I spent in the Lighting market. In general, I made a good living in it, and it has afforded me the freedom to pursue other passions. In that time, I have also experienced some amazing opportunities to contribute to beautiful spaces, from actually designing lighting within, to being part of the teams that brought products into them. But, 40 years in any industry is a long time – even if I experienced that through three different perspectives, so it was time to move on.
Photography gives me a reason to get wound up. New life for an old dog, with many opportunities to contribute, and new experiences every day. I can bring what I learned as a lighting professional, designer, and manager/executive to the work, as it provides me insight into customers that is unique. But most of all, I am rapidly transitioning to my pursuit of photography as my core interest, and enjoying every minute of it.
Kwillmorth Photo 
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