Hey guys! I just want to take the time to thank all of you for visiting my shiny new website which was officially released to the public today! I have been working on this site for a couple of months now to make sure everything was perfect, and I am super excited to finally be able to share both my website and photography gallery, which was compiled over the last year or so, with you guys!
This website along with my photography will be my main project of 2017; primarily as to keep me sane whilst I finish my masters degree! I had considered making a website for a while now, as I wanted one place to share all of my photography which was more accessible to people who do not have access to some/all social media sites or instead of sending emails to family with the images attached. It has been a great project to work on when the weather has been too cold and miserable to go out with my camera or as a way to relax after working on university assignments. I have some experience in website coding which I think has generally helped me picture how I want this website to look. The hosting site I have used has many features available which has also helped expand my ideas for here, many of which will be developed over time! I like how the website has quickly become a part of my photography progress - I take, I edit the photos to bring out their best natural qualities and then I will be uploading them here to mark my journeys and progress as a photographer!
Although I have an 'about' page, I thought I would also use this introductory blog post to tell you all a little bit about myself, as my about page will be regularly updated to reflect my current situation, it will be nice to have a recorded note of my situation when starting this website! I am 23 years old from Kendal in Cumbria, in the North West of England. I am currently studying for my MSc in Crime & Justice at the University of South Wales, Pontypridd and I studied BA Criminology & Sociology at Lancaster University from 2013 to 2016. My main focus is upon the sociological side of crime, with a particular focus on drug use. I am currently living in Treforest, Rhondda Cynon Taff, whilst I study, but I have been living in Wales since August 2016, previously living in Risca, Gwent. My passion for photography was an inspiration for studying in Wales, it has very similar qualities to the Lake District in regards to terrain, and Wales has a really unique and vibrant history which I cannot wait to explore! I am lucky to be close to areas such as the Brecon Beacons, as well as being close to the Wales/England border - somewhere I haven't explored much but would love to as my Grandmother is from Shropshire!
I have always captured moments and places from walks or outings I have been on; which tended to mean that my social media platforms were always 90% nature posts. With such, I felt that my 'personal' posts looked out of place and therefore I decided to share my photography under the name 'Veelight Photography' (Veelight being a combination of my nickname 'vee' and my last name) on Instagram in April 2016. My main areas of photography are nature and macro, although I do enjoy exploring old ruins of castles, abbeys and any other interesting nature-related places I find and sharing my photos of them. Previously have done a little bit of short film work, sometimes I have been forced in front of the camera to 'act' but majority of the time I have managed to stay behind the scenes working still photography or additional cameras. This has been a mixture of music videos and horror films - so not exactly nature related, I know! Portraiture is something that doesn't particularly interest me, but in the future I will be developing both my skills and confidence in this area.
I regularly post my work on Instagram, although I will be making sure to keep this website up-to-date and featuring all my work. I try to vary my posts on social media so there an equal balance between nature, macro and ruins. I have recently joined Facebook, Twitter and Flickr so give us a follow there! Different photos will be posted onto each social media as not to be repetitive, and my Twitter will be primarily phone photos from my adventures with aq little comment on what I've been up to. I will try to keep these as regularly updated as my Instagram is, but Instagram will still be my main social media platform that I use! I am known as 'Veelight Photography' on most social media, so simply give us a search or use the links at the side to connect with us! I am always looking for fellow photographers to follow on social media, and always happy for a chat!
I have plenty of ideas and places to visit in the upcoming months, and once I'm properly into the swing of my university work I my aim is to get out for a minimum of a couple of hours every few days with my camera and to take advantage of any fleeting winter sunshine that comes my way! I really want to explore South Wales, and already have a long list of castles, parks, woodland walks and mountains to visit within the few months I am here! I also have a never-ending list of tiny nooks and crannies within the Lake District I want to visit when I am back home, so I imagine that website will soon be filled with many beautiful places!
So, please have a look through my images - I hope you enjoy them! Any feedback is greatly appreciated in regards to my photos or the website as a whole! Your comments are what helps me improve my style and skills, shows me what I'm doing well and it also puts a smile on my face!
