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!

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.