I feel inspired so I grab my camera, notebook and a pencil. Photography is not my profession but my expression. I work with something very inhuman – electronics and IT – and although it is interesting, it is not my deepest passion because there is no feeling in it, only logic. Photography to me is an escape from the man-made world that I live in all week at a keyboard and screen, into the realm of emotion, sense-perception, thought and reflection.

I seek that which is more natural and more simple. In fact, my preferred subjects are those things we see but take for granted every single day because we are distracted by other things. I do not know how to paint or draw, so this is my way of attracting attention to those precious little things that make life meaningful.

I always liked photography but it really took off for me about two years ago, when I obtained a digital SLR camera. It takes different lenses to adapt to the particular shots I want and allows for manual operation such as the time the shutter stays open, thus opening a whole new world of opportunities.

As I leave the house, my wife supportingly waves a goodbye, understanding my need to be completely alone during my photographic missions. Indeed I prefer winter and the night-time because less people are about. When I am taking a shot it is as though the subject is talking to me and if other people are around I am not listening. It is only on rare occasions I can shut out the rest of the world, however my camera is always charged and ready in case an opportunity is presented to me where the conditions are perfect.

I take the car and drive I know not where or how long I will be. I do not like the concept of time. Previously, I would remove my watch when out taking pictures, but now I simply do not wear a watch at all, in a bid not to be governed by time.

I find myself driving into the countryside. I have observed that if I am in a philosophical mood – reflecting about my life, what I am doing with it and where I am going – I may go to historic places such as Valletta or Mdina, whereas when I feel more free I like to go to the countryside. I am also very attracted to the sea, like when I wish to disconnect. I noticed a regular pattern that even I do not quite understand, but that I am aware of it is enough for me.

Eventually I am drawn to a particular place. I stop the car on the side of the road, and step outside. I begin to wander. I keenly observe everything: the colour of the sky, the pattern of the clouds, the shape of the stones and the way the grass is dancing in the wind. Different feelings are evoked in me. Yet I am searching for that thing that reflects my mood, my prevailing sentiment.

I often go out looking for a subject to reflect what I am already thinking, or sometimes I take a picture and the thought originates from that. Not a single picture is taken just because it looks pretty. I have a friend who is a poet, and he says that it is good if I think about what I wish to convey, but it only works for me if the inspiration comes spontaneously.

Something catches my eye. I kneel down. I bring the camera to my eye and stoop even lower down to the ground. This is my habit. I took a course to learn more techniques and boost my know-how of basic things. My teacher was very good in relaying what he knew. We were about ten students and we all had our own field, whether portraits or birds... and it transpired that I like to drag myself along the ground!

I like subjects that are abstract, simple and natural – a stone, a flower, a snail, even architecture... making myself aware of all the things that I would usually ignore. I like detail, which is simpler to think about and to transmit, while I am not so inspired by landscapes because they are a composite of so many things.

The only time I like to take landscape pictures is when the composition evokes a particular feeling, like certain scenes in Gozo. I would like to travel to remote countries and share that spirit with others through photography. I feel inspired by the photos of a famous nature and culture magazine because I can feel those pictures and it is how I wish people can feel about my pictures.

I grab my pencil and notebook and write a few words about the significance of the images I have just captured. These words will go in my blog. It began after I was telling a friend about the thoughts that always relate to the pictures I have taken and he encouraged me to share them through my website.

All the blogs are inspired from the photos I take, and focus on awareness. Most people have little time to stop and think about themselves since they are immersed in their routine. In a variety of ways, the blog aims to provoke reflection about time, life, simplicity and the self. For example, in one of my blogs I personified Valletta.

I do not like to be considered a photographer. I am a person with a camera who captures moments and images in order to express something, but I had to learn that sometimes it is necessary to compose a photo, although I do not quite like it because it is unnatural.

I consider composed photographs a different type of expressionism. While I cannot tell an insect to go on a flower, I may sometimes request a model to take up a particular pose and expression because data protection law forbids use of natural and spontaneous pictures of people. Unfortunately, asking permissions often spoils the moment.

Currently I am able to dedicate only 4-5 hours a week to photography, yet I still consider myself an artist at heart. A picture may not be so beautiful as the hidden message contained in the image, like a metaphor.

I had the wrong impression that the public does not care beyond the superficial and I am pleased that I was proven wrong during my recent exhibition held in an old chapel in Valletta. There, a favourite was an image of a padlocked door from one of Malta's old cities. It represents the human ability to bolt up emotions, hiding the real self, in one's relations with another.

In another picture, you can see the detail of a bench, including the veins in the wood, but the sea in the distance is not clear. The background is obscured because we cannot know details of the future although the present is vivid.

During that exhibition I felt very encouraged because people were not just admiring the photos but I  observed that they could feel my message on an emotional level. It was as if I was being told to continue; that what I was doing was not just for myself but could be shared and it was appreciated.

Eventually I return to my car feeling rather satisfied with my photo-shoot. As I take the driver's seat, my eyes fall upon the picture book on the passenger's seat and I break into a smile of contentment. I had always toyed with the idea of a book, but had found so many excuses – that it involved too much work or it was too expensive. However, the positive feedback from my last exhibition encouraged me to just do it and so here it is. I am also contemplating a calendar, but I feel that a book has more value and I wish to keep it up seasonally.

Yet it is not my aim to make business from my photo-art. Meanwhile there is always another lens I could purchase, so it would be nice if at least photography supported itself. Actually I am not sure whether I am ready to sell my pictures at present.

Back at home, I immediately transfer the pictures from my camera to my computer and begin the process of selection. I show my favourite pictures to my wife and we discuss them. Finally I go about completing the most recent entry to my blog and attaching the relevant pictures, thus updating my website.

My online gallery and blog are the main tools for conveying my photo-art to people at large, but I would like to hold other localised exhibitions. There I can sit in the background and observe the public reaction and perhaps talk with deeply interested persons. It is very hectic to organise but also really worthwhile.

The main aim of my photo-art is to make people stop and think. I do not wish them to see with their eyes but with their heart. I wish that they could relate to the picture and that it evokes something in them. I wish that they will take the time to stop and reflect on themselves and the purpose of life itself.

www.rchircop.com