Friday, December 18, 2009

new beginnings

So I am a 30 year old apprentice at a photography studio.

Life threw me yet another curve ball, and for the moment it appears to have been one that I cannot hit.

Not sure how I got here, and I am still puzzled and confused by what the purpose and meaning of the last 16 months of my life are. I am starting to feel that I may never know. And that kind of bothers me.

I can't close that chapter of my life, but there is no reason why I cannot start writing new chapters while leaving old portions open for further speculation and analysis at a later date.

That new chapter, I believe is photography. I am passionate about photography for some of the same reasons I love writing. We all have things to say. Some of us are better at articulating them than others. However, with more complex and moving messages, I think even the best orators cannot match the delivery of artists.

Growing up, I wished I had artistic ability. If wishing could be measured in people, it would have been China. Sadly, I discovered I had none. I couldn't draw or paint worth a lick. Still can't. My hands could never control a pencil or brush the way I wanted to. Somehow a camera felt more natural in my hands, and I was hooked the moment I tried my first point-and-shoot. Emotion could be captured, a mood or message creatively framed.

As I embark on my first steps of this journey, I am only painfully aware of how lacking my current skill set is and see all too clearly just how much more room for improvement there is. After taking a two-day seminar with a photographer whose work I greatly admire, I couldn't even look at the photos I had taken in the past year without cringing. I hope this means I am on the right track. Like anything worthwhile in life, I know this will not come easy, but I am willing to endure everything that comes my way.

The word "photography" is formed by the fusion of two Greek roots- "photos": light and "graphein": write. This is my attempt to write with light. And this blog is a medium to help me remember the journey.

No comments:

Post a Comment