Gemma Stiles' photostream  

"To photograph truthfully and effectively is to see beneath the surfaces and record the qualities of nature and humanity which live or are latent in all things. Impression is not enough... A true photograph need not be explained, nor can be contained in words." - Ansel Adams, Photographers on Photography

I have been behind the lens since 2001, but in 2010 my passion for photograph was reignited in a big way.

I am a 27 year old female living in the western suburbs of Sydney. I grew up in a beautiful part of the UK known as the 'west country' and considered myself very lucky to live close to some wonderful architecture. Architecture was what sparked my initial interest in photograpy many years ago and my real love was shooting old buildings (particularly churches, cathedrals, ruins) in b&w. I was fortunate enough to be able to travel round Europe and found myself inspired by many of the glorious landscapes that scatter the continent.

Since getting back into photography seriously, I have tried to revive my love of architecture but it would appear that my current interest lies in landscape - particularly seascapes. It certainly helps that Australia boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world!

I recently had the pleasure of discovering macro photography and astrophotography. Macro for me is very special, it offers the opportunity to capture the most microscopic details that are often lost to the human eye. I often feel a very close connection to my macro subjects, especiaily the subjects that boast a crazy amount of detail undiscoverable to anyone without a macro lens…



I think we all take photographs for different reasons and I believe our relationship with photography changes during our lifetimes. Some people seek to master a skill, others use it as a form of creative expression or to capture things that have inspired them. Some people take photos purely to document their lives. For me right now, being behind the camera offers a very interesting kind of freedom, a freedom that opens my eyes to what is truly possible and lets me express myself in a very unique way.



I welcome any comments and highly encourage critique of my photos as I am constantly looking for ways to improve and evolve as a photographer.

My current gear:

Camera -
Canon EOS Kiss X4 (550d)

Lenses -
Canon EF 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Canon EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x Macro

Flashes -
Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX Flash

Filters -
B+W 77mm MRC Neutral Density #110 +10 stops
Cokin P Series Grey Neutral Density ND2X Filter #P152
Cokin P Series Grey Neutral Density ND4X Filter #P153
Cokin P Series Grey Neutral Density ND8X Filter #P154
Cokin P Series Graduated Grey G2 (Light ND2) Filter #P121L
Cokin P Series Graduated Grey G2 (Medium ND4) Filter #P121M
Cokin P Series Graduated Grey G2 (Soft ND8) Filter #P121S
Cokin P164 Circular Polariser

Feel free to check out my Facebook page:
Gemma Stiles Photography

Or drop by and say g'day on my wordpress blog:
here