Photography Development

Photography was something of a mystery to me when I was younger. Nonetheless, I wanted to know more about it. I wanted to be able to capture moments and colors and share them with the world. I didn't have any money for a nice camera and my mom didn't want to by one for me. "You're going to get sick of this in two weeks," she told me. I finally got my hands on a nice camera when my mom remarried. My stepdad didn't ever use his camera, so it became my tool to explore the world of photography.

Initially, I had no idea what I was doing. I was just taking pictures with no real understanding of how to take good photos. Granted, it was better then just shooting on a phone, but not by much.

My photos were not lit well, didn't have a tight focus and were not lined up in any way that made sense. It was just a start for me. A messy start, but a start nonetheless. As I continued to grow in my skills, I also grew as a person. Joining a performing arts high school was my first interaction with the technical side of art. I was able to take film classes and writing classes, and gain a better understanding of the inner workings of the art world.

I was working with teachers who were not only passionate about teaching but also in pursuing their own art. They would be pushing us to improve, while working along side us to improve themselves. I was able to gain skills across a variety of art areas. I used the skills I learned in school to improve my photography.

As I began to grow older, I was pushed to go beyond my comfort zone. You can only take so many photos of the same people and the same places before you run out of angles to catch. When the opportunity to travel to Japan presented itself during my junior year, I immediately begged my parents to let me go. I made a presentation to explain why I should go, and got a job to help pay for the trip, and did a whole cost breakdown. On the last possible day you could register and submit your down payment, my mom agreed. It didn't feel real until I was standing in Japan. While I was there, I figured out a lot of details about what I wanted to do in the future. I laid the foundation for my senior portfolio project, and even decided on the major I wanted to pursue in college. One of the biggest changes came through my photography skill. Because I wanted my photography from my time in Japan to drive my portfolio, I was constantly taking photos. I was bending over backwards just to get the right angle, and lugging my camera bag throughout all of the ridiculously hot weather, just so I wouldn't miss a shot.

The drive I felt to improve my skills carried on once I was back home in America. It pushed me to continue to focus on bringing things to life, rather then just snapping a shot. I played more with my settings and locations, and went beyond my comfortable zone of photos. I will continue to push myself to improve my art and understanding of the world through the photos I present to you.