My Photography Journey

October 21, 2021

My journey with photography began as a 5 year old when my aunt gifted our family a 1.2 megapixel Olympus Digital Camera. I was immediately fascinated and tried to take pictures of anything and everything. Unfortunately, over the years, though my interest in photography remained, I engaged in it less frequently. Most days I did not photograph anything, but I always wanted to do more.

Five months ago I decided to take action on this desire; after thorough research, I purchased a Nikon Z6 and began going out regularly to practice my photography. In doing so, I learned an immense amount — not only about photography, but also about myself. I am writing this post to share my findings with you all.

The Best Way to Learn is By Doing

When approaching a new task or area, I tend to spend a lot of time researching and learning to try and find the optimal approach. While being informed is important in any endeavor, I often would get so hung up on researching and planning that I would end up pushing back the actual “doing.” All of the theoretical knowledge means nothing without the ability to apply it. With my new camera, I took a different approach; I committed to going out and shooting frequently right from the get go. By doing so, I grew so much more than I would have if I had taken my traditional approach. Not only did I improve my skills more quickly, but I also organically discovered new ideas and approaches.

Mistakes are Part of the Process

Picking up photography also reaffirmed the necessity of making mistakes to me. There is a popular conception that mistakes should be avoided as much as possible. No one wants to make mistakes, but they provide a unique opportunity for learning. In these months of photography, I have made many errors. And while it sucks to have a photo "ruined" by the mistakes, the pain of once again missing my desired shot consistently pushed me to understand what I did wrong and learn to address it. Through many repetitions of this process, I have come to see that mistakes are part of the process. If you are never erring, then you are never learning. Flipping the story about mistakes on its head has been incredibly helpful not only in my photography, but also in my career and schooling.

Beauty Can be Found Everywhere

When on my photo walks and hikes, I am constantly looking for forms and ideas to capture. This consistent vigilance is developing my eye for the beauty that is hidden all around us. From the tiny spider casting its web near my front door to the smile on a friend's face after I tell a bad joke, beauty exists everywhere. Taking my photography more seriously has enabled me to identify this more easily and appreciate it that much more.

These past few months have taught me so much about both photography and personal development. Although I have learned a lot, there is still so much more to learn. My journey is just beginning and I am incredibly excited for where I am going from here.