Sensei Kagemori and his eager pupil, Grasshopper, are fictional companions in a series of wry conversations about photography, patience and the art of seeing. These are modern parables by Peter Pickering: sometimes tender, sometimes mischievous, and always more interested in the eye behind the camera than the price of the lens.
23 short pieces · Read in any order · Begin with The Shadow Keeper
The Shadow Keeper
How Snap-san became Kagemori, the keeper of shadows.
The Signature
Let the photograph speak before the signature shouts.
The Portrait and the Pause
A portrait begins with presence, patience and trust.
The Frame of Ego
Recognition is welcome. It is not the measure of a photograph.
Even the Tail Has Spirit
A small lesson in seeing the lives that share our streets.
A Lesson in Monochrome
What remains when colour steps aside?
The Street Without a Heartbeat
Perfect geometry is not always a living photograph.
Backs of Heads and Random Bums
When a retreating figure tells a story—and when it does not.
Many Lenses, One Vision
Knowing one lens can be worth more than carrying ten.
The New Camera
A new camera, an old question, and a cup of actual coffee.
The Temple of Tiny Gods
More megapixels do not mean more meaning.
The Blurred Path of the Hunter
Slow down enough to understand the moment.
The Face That Forgot Itself
A face is a life, not a collection of imperfections.
The Sky That Lied
When borrowed clouds forget to speak to the landscape.
The Bokeh That Lied
A creamy background should not cost somebody an ear.
The Curse of 17 Presets
Presets are seasoning, not the meal.
The Horizon That Fell Over
An angle needs a reason, not an excuse.
The Vanishing Tree and the Lie of Perfection
Before erasing the untidy detail, listen to its story.
The Knife That Cuts the Soul
When the clarity slider becomes a cheese grater.
The Vignette and the Void
Let the edges breathe. Leave room for the light.
Sharpen Your Vision
A tender moment need not have razor-sharp edges.
The Fog of Lies
A lesson in depth, distance and the blur that switches off.
The Margin of Insecurity
A border should serve the picture, not reassure its maker.
Header illustration created for this collection.
