Thursday, October 31, 2013

Nice to Meet You

I decided to start a blog to track my journey as an amatuer photographer. I want to find my style, my niche, test new techniques etc. There are so many things I want to try and learn more about, I can't wait to get rolling. I am a little ADD when it comes to photography. One minute I want to do pet photography, the next senior photos... oh wait landscapes are fun... and weddings are so pretty... I thought this blog could be my photos in these categories, along with different editing styles, plans, things I learned, useful links, and inspirational photos I come across.

If we start at the beginning, I got my first camera in the 6th grade from my grandfather. It was a film camera (Canon) with a 3x zoom. I thought I was the coolest kid around because everyone else had disposable camera and I had this high tech gadget. In high school, I signed up for a photography class in my sophmore year. Thinking back to film processing makes me amazed at how far technology has come, and how much more creative freedom we have today. 

My grandfather was very passionate about photography as well. I remember showing him my first DSLR (Canon Rebel T3) that I got in April 2011 and he was so amazed at all it could do. Of course at that point, I didn't really know all that it could do...

My biggest turning point was taking some photography classes with McKay Photography and I finally got off manual mode, and the photos weren't accidents any more. I also went on one of their safaris to Sedona which enhanced my skills tremendously and the photoshop course changed my life. Now I struggle with finding more inspiration and things to shoot. The desire is still there, because it will be the only way to get better, but where to start?

When my grandfather passed away in 2011, I got his slides from all the photos he took on his travels. I was amazed to see the places he had gone and the things he had seen. It was wonderful to experience a little bit of what he did. I think I inherited my passion for photography from him,  and I wonder if he would like the photos I am taking now... my guess is no because I like edgy effects in Photoshop :o) But I still think about our conversations where he would tell me about different locations to check out and various angles to try.

In my photos, I hope to capture emotion and provide good feelings to those who view them. Nothing makes me happier than people seeing a moving photo of someone they love, or feeling confident and beautiful when they see a photo of themselves, or escaping for just a moment in one of my landscapes. I want to capture beauty.

JAK