'It always seems impossible until it's done.'
Nelson Mandela
R.K.J. Adams has had a camera in her hands since she was around ten years old, after receiving one as a Christmas gift in the early 1970s. Over the years, she’s taken countless photos, capturing the moments of her own life as well as those of her family. She treasures the fading prints that arrived in the mail from the 1970s to the 1990s when the excitement of waiting for film to be developed was part of the experience. Each batch of photos brought small revelations, and the joy of seeing them for the first time never waned.
Of course, not every photo was a success. There were the inevitable disappointments—like when an anticipated shot turned out blurry or out of focus. But perhaps her greatest regret came during the Silver Jubilee celebrations of 1977 when Queen Elizabeth II visited her town. R.K.J. was thrilled to have captured a moment of the royal visit, only to discover, when the prints arrived, that the queen’s image had been overshadowed by her mother’s frantic waving hand, blocking the view entirely. No royal portrait—just a blur of a hand!
For years, R.K.J. thought about learning to take photographs “properly” with a good camera, but life always seemed to get in the way. It wasn’t until her late forties, after moving to the northern Highlands, that she felt a deep, irresistible urge to capture the stunning landscapes and natural beauty around her.
She bought a secondhand DSLR with a kit lens and a small camera bag, eager to begin her new photographic journey. That Christmas, her husband surprised her with private lessons from a local photography student. She showed up for her first lesson with her humble eBay bargain in hand, imagining the thoughts going through her mentor's mind when he saw her gear! However, his enthusiasm for photography was contagious, and it reignited the passion she had held for so long.
Years of practice, and several DSLR cameras later, R.K.J. now has the time to truly devote herself to her love of photography. She finds immense joy in capturing the “Nature’s Gems” around her, whether it’s a starry night sky, a raindrop clinging to a rose petal, or a precious memory frozen in time.