Out of the shadows & into the light
Just A Photographer Loving Her Life
3 mottos to guide me
LIFE IS AWESOME
CAPTURE IT
See the beauty in the world every day
Yikes, 50 … Time to live my dreams!
So the big Five Zero has arrived and I realise I want more from my day-to-day life. So my gift to myself is to be brave enough to make sure that happens and not allow anything or anyone to stand in my way. Does that sound selfish? Probably. But long ago I had a dream to be a professional photographer and travel the world. It was a dream I gave up to go get a “proper job”. Now, as I reach a major milestone in my life, I wonder: If I don’t follow my dream now … when?
Time is running out so the time is right now!
That dream is this: Gail Rajgor Photography. I have been obsessed with photography since I was young and have worked on the side as a professional photographer (under the name Rage With A Smile Photography) here in Suffolk for some time. My day job running Editorial Rescue has usually taken over, however. Yes my camera is always with me when I go out – not many days I don’t capture the world around me.
But as my friend Nick says, what’s the point of taking all those photos if I don’t do anything with them? Nick’s the bearded bloke above (makes him sound like God, I know – arghh!). Anyway, the thing is, God-like or not, Nick’s a great friend, a fairly wise man who’s opinion I value, and in this case, absolutely right.
So I am officially stepping out of the shadows at last and sharing my photography, my way, with you. No hiding behind a made up name. No hiding behind what I think I should be doing. No hiding due to fear of failure or disapproval. This is the real, authentic, me – Gail Rajgor – and I am firmly stepping out into the light.
Nice to meet ya!
Oh, that’s me below left, with my friend Sheryl, in Chania, Crete – gorgeous sunsets and the perfect place to chill out for a week by the sea.
Had such fun trying to find the John Lennon Wall in Mala Strana (Lesser Town) in the beautiful city of Prague – so worth it.
Everyone needs a fantastic Mr. Goodall in their life …
This photo (taken with my lovely little Sony RX100 V) is of me and my friend Nick Goodall having fun travelling around Krakow in a bright green Trabant 601. A selfie moment photobombed by Nick in true Goodall style.
I love this photograph completely. Without a doubt, it’s one of my favourite photos from all my travels with Nick.
To me it sums up our friendship and personalities beautifully. And it brings back a whole flood of wonderful memories from our Kraków trip – especially our Crazy Guides Communism Deluxe Tour in the Trabant. Yes, it’s an incredibly special photo to me – for these reasons and more.
I owe Nick so, so much. Without him I’m not sure I would have found the courage to get out there and create the life I crave. He pushes me out of my comfort zone. He makes me believe in myself. And he’s wonderful to travel with and such fun.
He’s a real gift in my life and a true friend. You’ll see him in many of my galleries, so be warned. But then, everyone could do with a fantastic Mr. Goodall in their life, so if need be, I’m happy to share mine, with his kind permission of course. You can find out more about him and how he’s helped countless others by clicking here now 🙂
Be You!
TRAVEL!
My love of photography
The truth is the only time I feel truly free of spirit and me is when I have a camera in my hand and I can explore the world around me through its lens. It doesn’t matter whether it’s my full-frame Canon 5D or Sony A7, my new beauty that is the palm-sized Sony RX100 V, my Apple Ipad or my Samsung S8 Note mobile phone. I just absolutely love it.
Photography is my happy place.
For me the practice and art of photography is about just going out and using my camera – finding myself again and getting lost in my own little world and the beauty (or the sorrows) many people just skip over without a second thought. As someone who has been virtually chained to their desktop all their working life, I confess that post-production, whilst essential, is the last thing on my mind when it comes to my own personal photography. Yes I can use Lightroom and Photoshop, but they are tools I use when I have to rather than things I love using.
On the other hand, having a camera (any camera) in my hand and looking through the lens to structure a shot and tell a story is really something I love. It’s like a natural extension of me. I’ve loved learning how to make full use of the cameras I have had over the years, moving off the auto settings and seeing what I can achieve, always aiming to get the photo right ‘in camera’.
I’m not a “manual setting only holier-than-thou” kind of person though. Some auto settings are incredible and are especially useful in certain situations – such as when you unexpectedly need to capture a moment before it’s gone. The main thing is to get a good picture. Whatever camera you have, whatever settings, just get the shot. Capture it. When you do, it feels great! Never risk losing the shot because you feel the need to be on manual mode – you will regret it.
Photography is my spiritual tonic.
Photography gives me time and space to breathe and enjoy the world, observe it, record it as I see it – just for my own pure enjoyment or for the needs of a specific client of course. There’s always some post-production work to be done, naturally, but I guess the journalist in me wants to mostly record what I see rather than create a false illusion of what the world could look like. I take my hat off to those who create beautiful artistic masterpieces after hours using photoshop.
Saying that I do love to create fine art images where I do make use of environmental conditions, in-camera settings, and editing tools. Usually this is to create a specific vision I may have in mind (see a self-portrait example by clicking here). My main thing though is to:
- Capture the masterpieces nature or man has already created in this world for us to glory at.
- Capture those moments, people, and sights that make me and others go “Wow”.
- Capture the things that bring me or others joy, a smile or a tear or two.
- Share those things and tell those stories through my photographs.
So welcome to the world through my eyes. This is how I see and capture the world around and within us.
Life really is an awesome gift if we truly embrace it wholeheartedly and as of now that’s what I plan to do.
For me that awesome life is rooted in my photography so from now on my photography is stepping out of the shadows and taking centre-stage.
It’s exciting, terrifying, and precisely where I need to be.
It feels wonderful to share this journey with you 🙂
loving life & being me
With my gorgeous little Ozzie man – a smooth-haired Whippet-Bedlington cross. I make no apologies for the fact that Ozzie is likely to feature a lot on this site. He’s my main side-kick here in Suffolk, where I live, and thanks to him and our dog walks, I see and capture the amazing and ever changing natural beauty that’s right here on our door-step.
A camera comes with us always and I’ve been asked many times just what it is that I see to photograph everyday. The question always amazes me because to me there’s a different beauty every single day, from one hour to the next, even in the same place, like my old street called Cake Street (Collection coming soon) – from the change in light, colours, mood and incredible cloud formations to the wildlife I could encounter, whether large or small.
I guess I just look, I see, I embrace the privilege of being able to experience it.
Kraków – testing my new sony RX100 V camera, the perfect travel companion.
So on my trip to Kraków (with Nick) I picked up a new camera – one I can slip in my pocket or bag anytime, without it taking up much space in limited hand luggage. It was the Sony RX100 V and I absolutely love it. Kraków was a great testing ground for it too. It’s now my go-to travel camera.
Book me now or buy a photo
Whether you need some cracking authentic editorial photos for your website or marketing material, an event photographer for a gig coming up, fancy a family photoshoot with a difference, or wanna have some fun and learn how to use your camera properly … let’s do it. My photos are also available to buy and, as a journalist and copy editor with 25 years experience, I can also write articles and blogs, so send me a message using the form below today and let’s get to work.
How can I help you Capture your world?
Find what makes you happy and keep a tight hold of it!
Create the life you crave and capture it in photos!