Lifestyle

The Miracle of Life: A Photo Essay

Rob Davis

What inspires you?

As young people trying to make it in this world, we often get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, trying to make it. But for a second, stop, take a deep breath and look around. Take a look around and think. Take in everything you see, capture life’s own beauty and let it spur you on. When you find your inspiration only then can you be human.

If you end up in a boring, miserable life because you listened to your parents, your priest or some guy on the TV telling you how to live your life, then you only have yourself to blame. Find your passion, follow your heart, its your life, explore it, live it, love it. Don’t take life too seriously, you don’t get out alive anyway. Below is some of my work as a photographer, hope something triggers you to follow your dreams!

One of the first “clever” photos I ever took. Just outside on the main road by my house in Oxford. I have a really strong standpoint against speeding and know many people speed at that point as there isn’t a speed camera for a while. Using a slow shutter speed to get the stream of the lights and the angle on the speed limit sign, creates this dramatic image on speeding. As you can see from the trees, it was winter so I was freezing my arse off waiting for that perfect shot.

On a university trip to London, walking down the road after leaving the Tate Modern (pile of rubbish by the way). From the corner of my eye I notice this modern image leading to the old. I feel it showed the harmony between the ages, and the two compliment each other. It also shows you don't need a sunny day for a nice photo.

St. Paul's, London. Again this time at night. I got this shot by pure accident. I was resting my camera on a wall and clicking shoot and the shutter remained open gathering the light it needed due to the time of day. During this time a boat had past (that's how long it took), which is the stream of light you see travelling across the picture.

A railway bridge in London. I love the colours and the use of slow shutter speed to make the train look like its travelling at light speed into the distance.

Lake Como, Italy on our way back from the F1 GP in Monza. Such an amazing day and experience capped off with this beautiful sunset behind the Italian mountains.

My fiancee, Sophia, comes from a little village called Bury in West Sussex, which is set in the stunning natural beauty of the South Downs. In a field down the road from her house is this tree. Just one, old, weathered tree all on its own. That day the valley was covered in fog and I was originally taking photos of that, but I walked down to the tree and captured this picture. Hitting it off with the B&W effect to give it some mood, it's one of my favourites and still can't believe that I took it.

A tree in my future parents-in-laws back garden. I was laying in the garden just relaxing as it was such a peaceful day. I try to take my camera everywhere so I don't miss a moment, and luckily I had it with me. Looking up I see the sun behind the petals of this tree and just snapped away. This is the result and my mother-in-law has the picture hanging in her living room.

A rose after a downpour of rain. Another good thing about the country side is that when it rains, it makes for a beautiful walk afterwards.

Saving the best for last. On our trip to Italy we visited a cathedral in the town of Como. Inside you were allowed to light a candle for a loved one who had past away. I lit two, one for my Nan who passed away when I was 8 and meant a great deal to me, the other for my Grandmother, who passed away January of that year. I stood in thought for ages to watching the flame flicker. I felt both my grandparents there with me, standing on each side watching with me. I could really feel their presence; I took the photo so that that feeling was always with me.