Mark Chapman has been an amateur photographer for the last 20 years taking pictures in England, Scotland, Europe and the US using a 35mm film SLR and more recently digital. Mark's interest in photography covers landscapes, cityscapes and buildings, close-up or macro shots as well as more artistic or abstract photos. Mark finds that photography as an amateur is often opportunistic, perhaps more so than you would presumed for a professional and so you remain ready and are on the look out for a for something that would make a good picture. Even with technical know-how and keeping the mind aware for that interesting picture Mark notices that not all shots that look good to the eye look good to the camera lens. The reverse also seems to be true. A shot that seems interesting can also turn out much better than expected, thus a degree of serendipity plays a part. While many photos could be taken by another person simply because they are of a known landmark and the conditions do not change that much, the serendipitous and opportunistic quality of photography could result in a picture that is original and difficult to reproduce giving it a quality of uniqueness similar to a work of art. So it’s this quality of uniqueness, though not always accomplish by a long chalk, is a motivating influence in the search for that desirably picture.
