Shutterbug

I like to take pictures. I've only taken on photography course in my life, and it took me over a year to finish it, but I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure what turned me on to pictures, whether it was my mom's interest, or the Rolling Stone issue that featured Annie Leibowitz pictures, or just something innate. But whatever it was, it's something I find myself coming back to time and again.

I think there's lots of opportunities for creativity in photography, and operating most cameras isn't that difficult. I haven't learned how to use a darkroom yet, but I might someday. I guess I just like the notion of finding, or bringing out, something unseen or heretofore unexplored in the world around us, a world we all see but take for granted for the most part.

I like taking pictures of nature, of animals and skylines and trees. Nature has always been a kind of peaceful, positive influence on me, and so many of the images it conjures are really magical to look at. And there's so much opportunity for sharing a personal vision of nature; you decide how much shadow to use, what angle to shoot from, etc.

Likewise, personal portraits are fun and interesting too. I loved the Leibowitz article because it really showed how portrait photography can bring out someone's essential character, or bring out an aspect of their personality that no one has really seen before. It's just a great creative medium, and all you really need is an original perspective and a good eye.

So hopefully this year I'll be able to do more of it. I've toyed with the idea of starting a photo blog; a photo a day, with accompanying text. We'll see. Like this blog, I hate the notion of just "logging" in each day whether I have something important to post or not. I don't want what should be a creative endeavor to become rote. But I guess there's some value in a daily routine as well. It creates discipline, and heaven knows that's something I could use.

For instance, it's January 2nd, and I've now blogged in every day of the new year.

Yippee!! :)