1 year

1 year ago, I got my Nikon Coolpix L20. A week later, I launched this photoblog.

 

In my first impressions post, I did mention that maybe I wouldn't be satisfied by this puny little camera. One year on, I think the photos themselves express how terribly wrong I was. The camera does not make the photographer.

 

Yes, it has its limitations - lack of manual controls, lens distortion, no image stabilisation, slow processor, a preference for oversaturation & a very reflective LCD screen. I don't mind it at all, because it makes shooting photos more challenging & the end-result more gratifying.

 

The Nikon L20 helped me rediscover photography under a new light. The Rule of Thirds, shutter speed, aperture size & bokeh are some new aspects of photography I've learnt. The photoblog is a timeline of my evolution as an amateur camera-owner. Here’s a look-back at some of the best photos.

 

My first foray with the L20 was shooting my environment. Compact cameras have really good close-up/macro modes. That's why I started with the easiest of all subjects – flowers (& plants).

• Vieille Fille
  
• Cactus Leaves
  
• Moss
  
• Flowering Sugarcane
  
• Tulsi
  
• Backyard
  
• In Between
  
• Light & Plants
  
• Vieille Fille II
  
• Vieille Fille III
  
• Random Flowers
  
• Random Flowers II
  
• Random Flowers III
  
• Vieille Fille IV
  
• Flamboyant
  
• Golden Trumpet Tree
  
• Red Leaf
  
• Random Flowers IV

 

Everyday objects. Eventually ran out of them…

• P’tit Bonhomme
  
• Shadow
  
• Light Bulb
  
• Stuck Concrete
  
• Water on Fire
  
• 8
  
• Bobines
  
• Flying Seed
  
• Diya
  
• Ti Marmite
  
• Bus
  
• Endless Screw
  
• Roche Cari
  
• Lego Photography
  
• Nest
  
• Antenna
  
• Top

 

Insects & animals. Harder to shoot because of their movement.

• Beetle
  
• Spiders
  
• Snail
  
• House Gecko
  
• [Cat] Caught Sleeping
  
• Yellow Wasp
  
• Yellow Butterfly
  
• Blue Butterfly
  
• Spider
  
• Grey Butterfly
  
• Cat
  
• Milkweed Bug

 

Festivals & celebrations.

• Raksha Bandhan
  
• Divali 2010
  
• Banané
  
• Thaipoosam Cavadee 2011
  
• Maheswarnath Mandir
  
• Ganga Talao 2011
  
• Maha Shivratri 2011

 

Street photography & other places of interest. Outdoor shoots basically. ;)

• Pieds dans L’eau [at UOM]
  
• [Constituency] No. 5
  
• Cascade Cecile
  
• Le Meridien
  
• Caudan Waterfront
  
• Port Louis
  
• Port Louis Waterfront
  
• Clos St Louis
  
• Old GRNW Bridge
  
• Millennium Tower
  
• UOM Car Tuning Show

 

As they say, the best camera is the one you have with you. The Nikon L20's biggest asset is its portability - always in my pocket, ready to shoot in a moment's notice. The trip to Black River Gorges with other Mauritian bloggers was the perfect occasion to illustrate that. The L20 was just awesome…

• Black River Gorges National Park – Part 1
  
• Black River Gorges National Park – Part 2

 

Theme-based sharing of photos on PAPM provided an opportunity for improvement. The results were some of my best shots I’ve ever taken.

• Zen
  
• My Camera
  
• Piment Cari [Hot theme]
  
• Ice on Fire
  
• Iceberg
  
• Ice & Sand
  
• Sunset
  
• USB LED Fan [Abstract theme]

 

Vistas. A reminder of Mauritius’ natural beauty.

• Silver Lining
  
• Pier
  
• Coconut Tree
  
• Infinity
  
• Twilight
  
• 80

 

Panoramas. Definitely my favourite photography technique. All shot hand-held.

• Panorama
  
• Caudan Waterfront
  
• Port Louis
  
• Black River Gorges National Park - Part 1
  
• Port Louis Waterfront
  
• Port Louis – Moka Range
  
• Solitude
  
• Pointe aux Biches
  
• Montagne Longue
  
• Twilight
  
• Ganga Talao 2011

 

 

133 posts & 438 comments. Not bad. Most commented post? Surprisingly, it’s not a photo, but a video – Triolet to Port Louis. 

The future? Some more experimentation (gotta repair that tripod I bought) & more self-restraint – take less photos! New camera? I don’t know, but I’m certain it won’t be a DSLR. I’m too much in love with the portability of compact cameras. :)