A Blog Is Born (or 'blorn' as I like to call it)

a new dawn 

Hello folks!

Welcome to the birth of a brand new blog. Because I was thinking, "you know what? there just aren't enough blogs on the internet". 

You'll have to forgive the blood, mess and pain - births are generally chaotic things. If you're lucky, maybe I'll post a video of me eating the placenta later on! Don't be alarmed if the placenta looks suspiciously like a slice of cake though.

Anyway, this first post is just a quick introduction to what I'm hoping to achieve here. 

There is literally nothing in life that makes me happier than taking photos. When I put the camera around my neck, I'm transported into a very special space - a magical bubble where I look at the world in exciting new ways and discover even familiar scenes afresh. 

When I was out just a few days ago, taking the picture above, at one point I found myself having a peak moment - laughing out loud happily to myself, completely absorbed by the wonder of the beautiful day unfolding before my lens. 

Goodness only knows what anyone who saw me in this uncontrollable blissful state thought. A "slightly 'special' maniac" would probably have been my assessment. Luckily it was early and therefore quiet. The combination of sunshine induced endorphins and doing my favourite activity really did overtake me.

I think that this wonderful, therapeutic hobby that I enjoy so much can also provide happiness and joy to everyone. So what I'm planning to do with this blog is share my experiences, in the hope that they may provide inspiration or encouragement to get out there and have fun with your own camera. Whether you're a seasoned pro or only just beginning, I hope there will be something you can take away from some of what I post here.

My aim is to provide you all of this, without too much in the way of "ponce". As in many creative pursuits, there are some people in the photographic world who really are rather up themselves. Here you will find a straight talking, down to earth approach, based in my real world experiences. If you want arty-farty nonsense, you'd best look elsewhere. Oh wait a second, I may actually be able to help with the farty side of things - that placenta was pretty ripe.

As for the title, "Happy Joy Photo" kind of sums up my attitude to photography in a Japanesey kind of way. It works best if you imagine me saying it in a Japanese accent, whilst dressed as a Japanese schoolgirl who has just come to life from an anime comic. You'll have to forgive the beard which I admit, adds nothing to the effect.

Oh and one more thing; those of you who have known me a while will remember that I have written a couple of blogs in the past, one of which was about photography. Given that it's been around 18 months since I last updated that one though, I thought a fresh start was in order. Plus, the Toby of 2012 was a different person to the shiny new and improved Toby 2014 model! Similar to Trigger's broom in Only Fools And Horses, I've had several new heads and handles since then.

Oh and one one more more thing - I have a ton of ideas of posts to write as photography has been dominating my life these past few months. But if there is anything in particular you'd like to see covered or if you have any questions, feel free to drop me an email with them on.

Thank you lovely people! :-) xx