"I think a photography class should be a requirement in all educational programs because it makes you see the world rather than just look at it." ~Author Unknown
One entry on my list of things to do this year is photography. I took my first "real" picture at 16 with a borrowed SLR and a crash course in exposure. I was so proud when everyone gushed over how good the pictures were. Of course, I look at those pictures now and find all the flaws, but they still make me smile.
I got my own SLR at 17 in anticipation of a summer in England and a photography class in the fall. The camera was damaged about 10 years ago. I didn't realize how much I missed shooting until I was given a little digital point and shoot about 2 years ago for my birthday. It is a great little camera but I would constantly get frustrated that I couldn't control the exposure more. I immediately begain saving for a digital SLR.
Which I finally got earlier this year. Talk about frustrating. My old SLR had shutter speed and appeture and the ISO was determined by the speed of film you bought. The rest was technique.
This one had so many bells and whistles, I had no idea what they were. White balance? Exposure compensation? Histogram?
Two digital camera classes later, I finally feel like I have an inkling of how it actually works. I love it. The second class we had to submit photos for critique. Oh God. But I survived, with ego boosting kudos from the instructor.
Landscape:
Still Life:
Architecture:
We also played with lighting set-ups for portraits and still life which was a lot of fun. I can't wait to continue taking pictures.
The only problem right now is...a month of continuous 100+ temps and no end in sight. Argh! I hate the heat. I tried going out once a few weeks ago, as I wrote recently, but I just can't take it. So I probably won't be out shooting much until at least October. Maybe I can try some more natural light still lifes...in my apartment where it's nice and cool.
"If you really put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price." ~Author Unknown
I found myself writing a long, involved post about my recent adventures in purchasing a smart phone. What I wanted to do was wax philosophic about the necessity of learning to trust your own judgement. Unfortunately it just devolved into a tirade about incompenent, self-serving sales people. So I deleted it.
I did the research, decided which phone I wanted and proceded to let the sales girl talk me into the one I KNEW wasn't right for me, despite her assurances to the contrary. I returned it, less the restocking fee she failed to mention, and now I have the product I had originally determined was what I wanted and I'm happy,
But I had to go through a day of frustration and self-chastisement to get there. How could you be so stupid? You idiot. You knew better. All those internalized voices keeping you down.
Its hard to learn to trust yourself. To have faith that you know what you are doing, especially when the message in your formative years was less than encouraging. But its a lesson worth learning. Only you know yourself. You know what is right for you. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise. They may think its for your own good. Or maybe they have a specific agenda that has nothing to do with you, or worse, is consciously against you. Whatever the reason. Trust yourself. You know what you are doing.
