I recently learned that May is National Photography Month, and there was no way I was going to let this month go by without talking about it! In the past two years, photography has become a big hobby of mine. I am still incredibly amateur, and get really frustrated when I cannot capture things the way I like. I know nothing about polarizing filters, cannot take an extreme macro shot unless it is pure luck, and lament the fact that a thousand dollar camera is way, way, WAY out of my price range. I doubt I will ever try to be a professional photographer, for one thing, I am not a big portrait taker, and that is what most people want. I am much better at outdoorsy, nature, or artsy photos.
I have taken one photography class, just an adult ed class, and would love to take some actual college classes, but if I never do, I am ok with that too. Photography is something I get to spend a little "me" time on every day. And I have made vast improvements. For example, most of my photographs that I took 2 years ago were either this
or this
My skills were limited to turning the camera around to take pictures of myself (which I admit, I still do sometimes), or taking a boring center weighted picture that showed little to no detail.
These days, I still take self portraits, but I have learned to use a tripod and self timer, and to play with settings and editing, to come up with things like this
I have learned to frame things in interesting or unusual ways, like this
I have learned to take tight shots full of detail, like this
And I have learned to "see" things in whole new ways, like this
Am I ever going to achieve fame or wealth as a result of the pictures I take? Probably not. But I have achieved a new found appreciation for the world around me. A newfound love of nature. An ability to see all the little pictures that happen every single day. An increased attention to the small things in life. And a supreme thankfulness for God's glorious creations, and the blessings He has bestowed upon me.
So, I am glad that I have stumbled upon this little hobby, whether it ever becomes more than that or not.
