Inspired – James Acton, The Brand Nursery

This treasured and beautifully made Asahi Pentax SP1000 from 1974 uses outdated technology. It weighs a ton and has most definitely seen better days.

It was given to me by my father as a present on my ninth birthday, and since that time it has never failed me or let me down. It’s banged nails into walls, propped open doors, been around the world about three times and has even been used in self-defence (a ‘bribery incident’ in Indonesia that began to turn nasty).

My reason for thinking of it as ‘inspired’ is that, when I looked through the viewfinder for the very first time, I took a glimpse into another world; a world that I could capture in a 1000th of a second and then be able to hold on to for ever; a world that, rather than being logical, ordered and rational, became expressive, creative and visual.

I am no photographer by any stretch of the imagination, but this camera gave me the chance at an early age to use my mind and my eyes to enter into a career that has astounded and delighted me for the past 20 years. Thanks, Dad.