Life behind the lens
Updated: Sep 8, 2020
Anyone can be interested in photography. Virtually all of us are photographers in our own way, even if it means documenting your daily life on a smart phone. You may not realize it, but every time you snap a photo, you are documenting a point in your life. It may be what you ate at a restaurant, what you decided to wear that day, or just a photo of your friends. It may even be a photo of someone you've never met, but found it interesting in your own way. We are all photographers.
Almost everyone is behind the lens in one way or another.
“Well, I suppose nothing is meant to last forever. We have to make room for other people. It’s a wheel. You get on, you have to go to the end. And then somebody has the same opportunity to go to the end and so on.” ― Vivian Maier.
If you don't know who Vivian Maier is, please, look her up. She was inspirational on many levels, and was a fantastic photographer. She took thousands of photos with a film camera and most of her work wasn't even developed until after she passed away. What was left behind was a collection of photographs from the many cities she lived in and we saw the world through her eyes.
My Experience
I started taking photos when I was very young on a Kodak Disc camera, which essentially used a "wheel of negatives" or a cartridge style negative. From what I can recall, the pictures were terrible, but half the fun was taking them and having them developed to see what I had captured. I then had many versions of cheap film cameras since then and took hundreds of photos, mostly of family and friends, and on rare occasions, a decent fish that I had caught. About 13 years ago, I purchased a good digital camera which I didn't really know how to use, in fairness, but I had still had fun being behind the lens. Today, after taking a course in professional photography, several off-camera flash courses, and many hours of reading and research, I feel much more comfortable and confident taking photographs. I've shot engagements, fashion models, aspiring models, and I've shot several special events. Along the way, I've learned that what I love shooting most is people - in any capacity. Strangers on the subway, people on the street, fashion models, and any other models willing to pose for me, whether it be in studio or on location.
Behind the lens is where I belong. Where do you belong?