I read with interest the BBC’s article on why Why Digital Cameras = Better Photographers – I’m not totally convinced I agree with them in terms of professional photography (in that some of the best photos I’ve ever seen have been taken with “traditional” film) but for amateur snappers like me who dream of some day learning how to take a decent picture, they’re perfect.

The amount of photos I’ve taken since having a digital camera has grown exponentially. I just never got around to taking film to the developers and by the time I’d finished a roll I’d long since forgotten what was on there anyway. With the digital I’m far more prepared to just take a load of pictures and only keep my favourites; storing on computer is also far less cluttered than having drawers full of those little folders of snaps and negatives just waiting to be organised into a proper album.

My screensaver flips through My Pictures directory and mostly these images aren’t great but they are fantastic memory hooks – totally meaningless to a casual observer, but I could watch the slideshow for hours.

Of course, this doesn’t stop me from sighing enviously when I work my way through Photo Friday‘s link viewer each week – I just wish I had that eye for good composition. Then again, I’m reassured by the BBC article when I discover that for a National Geographic story almost 12,600 shots are taken and only 10 shots used for print. Okay, I’ll never get to National Geographic standard, but maybe if I just keep taking hundreds and hundreds of pictures I’ll get one or two that I’m really proud of.

Now all I have to do is follow Akra around all weekend so I can get a decent photo for this week’s Photo Friday theme: “Man”! So far he’s managed to look grumpy and suspicious in every single one…