Project 7: Defining Moments #1

Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT

Rediscovering Creativity Through Photography

I was re-watching This is England the other day, and a particular scene caught me. Shaun is in a photography class, and his teacher talks about defining moments. Those pivotal experiences that shape us, often in ways we don’t fully realise at the time. Watching Shaun navigate his world, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own defining moments.

I have always loved photography as a creative outlet, but somewhere along the way, I drifted from it. Recently, I felt that spark again. I started searching obsessively online, reading reviews, comparing cameras, thinking that the perfect piece of equipment might reignite my inspiration. I spent hours lost in the hunt, imagining that one defining moment when I would finally find “the camera” that would unlock my creativity.

Then I paused. I dug out old photos I had taken over the years, and I noticed something striking. The shots I loved most weren’t taken on expensive, high-end cameras. They were captured on an old, simple, family digital camera. Probably nothing more than a couple hundred pounds at the time. And suddenly, it hit me: the magic wasn’t in the camera at all. It was in the way I approached the moment, fully present and aware, not worrying about gear or settings.

I realised then that the best camera is the one you have with you. A fancy camera won’t make you more creative; it’s the act of looking, noticing, and capturing that matters.

So I went on Vinted and bought a 2005 Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT for around £20. It’s heavy, clunky, and quirky, the autofocus button falls off, every 10th shot errors, and it’s far from practical. But I love it. Using it forces me to slow down, to think about each shot, to really see what I’m capturing. I have to look through the viewfinder, adjust to the camera’s quirks, and make each image intentionally.

There’s something beautifully human about this process. It reminds me of writing on a typewriter rather than a computer the limitations forcing creativity, and imperfections making the work feel alive and almost human. Stripping away the unnecessary allows me to focus on the essence of photography: presence, observation, and connection.

I still use modern tech to edit and share my images, but the heart of this practice is in the old camera itself. It’s taught me that creativity isn’t about perfection, megapixels, or features it’s about feeling, being present, and engaging with the world around you. The imperfections in both the camera and myself are what make the images real, relatable, and meaningful.

Through this journey, I’ve discovered a small but profound truth: defining moments aren’t always grand or dramatic. Sometimes, they’re simple shifts in perspective, moments of clarity that change how we see ourselves and the world. Rediscovering photography, embracing limitations, and reconnecting with the joy of capturing fleeting moments has been one of those moments for me.

I’m excited to share this journey with Project 7: Defining Moments, and I hope that through these images, others can feel the same spark of creativity, presence, and connection that I’ve found. Sometimes, the best moments and the best photos happen when we simply show up.

Steve