The Anecdote
The inspiration for myphotomemoir.com was my wife – let’s call it a gentle nudge. My interest in photography dates back to my adolescence; with a father who was a photographer, you could say it’s in my DNA. While I would occasionally play with his equipment, I was never allowed to use his prized Minolta.
So, when I got married, a large group of friends gifted me a camera, marking the beginning of my photography hobby. Over time, my passion for photography grew, transforming me into a serious amateur. This interest intensified further as I developed a love for the outdoors and hiking.
I never followed the herd and instead created saumenphotography.com. The site featured a number of my portfolios, including great shots from 14 national parks in the United States and other places around the world, but for some reason, I quit. Looking back, I realize I was too structured, focusing solely on capturing the perfect picture, but neglecting to tell the story! Here’s a link to my previous photo site from the Wayback Machine.
Our trip to Tibet, with the breathtaking sunset at Everest Base Camp, the trek around Mt. Kailash, and the moment I touched the magnificent blue waters of Manasarovar, poised me for a restart. I felt constrained – smartphone technology had redefined the standard for candid photography and I was frustrated with my old camera. In reality, I accidentally dropped my camera at Nan Lian Garden, Chi Lin Nunnery in Hong Kong. Below is the last photograph I took with my D810 and 24-70 f/2.8 lens.
I was hesitant to arrive in Tibet with a broken lens, but my trip to the Nikon store in Hong Kong opened a new chapter in my photography journey with the Nikon Z8. Now, I find that stories accompanied by photographs are more captivating than simply striving for picture-perfect captures.
Myphotomemoir.com is a new endeavor for me to unearth the stories, highlighting a few from the thousand words inherent in the photographs. And, I don’t have to be silent with a guilty conscience in the car next time my wife asks exasperatedly, “Why did you delete your photo website?” I’d rather answer, “Honey, it was because of her inspiration! Now I have stories with my photos at myphotomemoir.com.” I hope you travel the world with them.