Think back to what first truly inspired you to pursue photography more seriously. I’m reasonably sure that there is more than one reason, but some are stuck in your mind and you recall them with fondness.

Perhaps the most significant contribution for me was the discovery of flickr, and the realisation that there were thousands, if not millions of not-so-famous photographers from which I could draw inspiration and knowledge from.

Living far from a major city and not knowing how to make connections film wise made it difficult for me to start initially. I mean, sure, there were local labs with which I could converse with, but I wanted to be able to meet with real live people and talk about film things together. For the most part it seemed such a scenario was just a pipe dream. And then I stumbled upon the Melbourne Silver Mine collective.

Here was the sort of group that I was looking for! Only one problem. I live/d 11 hours drive away. Still, this group has embraced me as an honorary member and has even allowed me to join in with the group orders to B&H and so on (individual shipping can be pricey).

Over the years I’ve watched and read about their exhibitions with a slight tinge of jealousy – to a certain extent work produced on film looses a lot if it isn’t printed. So to have an exhibition based around the idea of prints from film is something that gets me excited! I still haven’t made it to one yet, but for all our readers who live in the vicinity of Melbourne, Australia, you really owe it to yourself to head on over to the Unsensored 2010 website for more details.

Don’t live near by? Go there anyway. Each time you re-navigate to one of the pages you get a sample from another talented artist. Additionally, you can check out the exhibitors page for links to some of the exhibitors websites. These guys shoot mainly on film so it’s worth checking out their work! I’d especially like to plug Vinnie Piatek – you may know him as Museum of Dirt. When I need inspiration for street work on semi-familiar home ground (Melbourne and Sydney aren’t that different in street style) I check him out. Either on flickr or his website. We’ve also showcased a sample of work from Rob Birze (another Silver Miner) on this site before. A talented bunch without question.

Now we don’t have a dedicated events section on the website yet, and I’m wondering if this would be of interest? We could perhaps have a section that lists briefly the events (film orientated) worldwide as we discover them – you could email either of us to let us know of something you know but we don’t.

What I’d really like to know is who, or what, is the unsung hero in your rise to film? While for me it was the realisation that there was a bunch of people out there dedicated to the medium and promoting it as much as they can, perhaps it was an event or single person for you? Let us know in the comments. Leave a link too, if need be. I’m always open to a little more inspiration.