by WELCOME to Behind the Lens, a feature that takes a look at the talented photographers in our Guardian Camera Club group.
This week, Julie Webb shares some of her favorite photos.
Julie, who lives in Hartford, has had a camera in her hand for as long as she can remember and has been lucky enough to photograph some great photos but not the iconic kingfisher that shot a fish in its mouth.
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Julie is happy outdoors and up a mountain with her camera in hand
When and why did you take up photography?
As long as I can remember I had my own camera. As a child, film was the only option – you had to choose your material wisely, carefully remove the film from the camera and take it to the local pharmacy where it would be processed. Time and time again I expected only to be disappointed with the quality of my photos when I finally saw them. I continued to experiment, because for me photography is a diary and a record of life’s events. The advent of digital cameras was a game changer and meant that I could try to photograph anything, see if it would work then delete it without incurring any expensive processing costs. Today I carry my tiny Panasonic LUMIX and call everywhere to capture moments of family, wildlife and landscapes that catch my eye. Hardly a day goes by without taking a photo.
Julie hopes that the next photo of a kingfisher will have a fish in its mouth
What do you love about taking pictures?
To me, photography is a record, something we can look back on to jog our memories and relive life’s special memories. Photography challenges me. I enjoy watching and photographing birds and wildlife and am always looking to get a better picture of the subjects I have photographed many times before. Take the Marbury Park kingfisher – I have a clear picture but now I want one with a fish in its beak. Patience is an essential trait.
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“My photography inspires me to be part of Guardian Camera Club”
Whitegate St Mary’s Church, the subject of Julie’s one photo camera club challenge
Where is your favorite place to take pictures and why?
I take pictures anywhere – cities, the countryside, at home. I can’t limit myself to one place but I like to take pictures of the bridge at Castlefield in Manchester playing with perspective, color and patterns.
What is your favorite subject and why?
I love taking pictures of my family, finding significant life moments and those times when the atmosphere is relaxed. A few years ago, I was awarded a day photography tutorial taking street photos in Manchester. I now love photographing street art and architecture. When I visit a new city, I look at street artists, libraries and theaters because so many people are very photogenic.
Wildlife photography is my passion and something I’ve dabbled in since I retired. I prefer the Bitter Hide at Budworth Lake, I can watch the birds, take photos and draw on the extensive knowledge of the other regular birders there.
Later, I took photos of musicians in a wind band that my husband and I play in. I had never done anything like this before but when the regular photographer was sick, I offered to give it a try. I spent the morning rummaging around music stands but I would love to give it a chance and I surprised myself. The pictures are now on the band’s website.
The view from the bridge over the Weaver in Northwich
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“There is always something different with a photograph – you are there in one minute”
Julie was lucky enough to experience and photograph the Northern Lights last year while on holiday in Mull
What do you like about being part of our Facebook Camera Club?
The Camera Club is a forum for me where I can look at the work of other photographers and learn. I can put a photo on the page and get positive feedback. This is great because the other people in the Camera Club are social media friendly. I hope my photos will inspire others to visit new places, look at the land, water and sky and understand the wildlife around them and maybe start taking pictures themselves.
If you could photograph anyone/anywhere/anything, who/what would it be?
Until recently, I post one photo every day on my Instagram account. The content focuses on travel and days out. My hashtags for the pictures often included references to Lonely Planet and Rough Guides travel guides in the hope that one day they would send me on a mission. It didn’t work but I can live with hope! Where do I want to take photos for a travel guide? I’d love to explore Norway for the landscape or the Falkland Islands for the wildlife – I’m a dream come true.
The bridges in Castlefield, Manchester
