behind the lens

My humble beginnings in photography began about a year and half ago. I felt like I was losing so many special memories that really deserved to be captured. The children changing and growing- and it was passing by, completely lost. With nothing concrete of the everyday or the huge milestones to hold onto.

Freeze time, right? Isn't that the whole point of photography. To actually have the power to suspend a moment. To hang it up and hold it. A newborn babe in my arms, a plucky three year old with chubby hands, a little girl on the verge of so much more. These, these are the moments I wanted. Honest, thick with real life.

So for my birthday, just over a year ago, I asked for a camera. Nothing to fancy. I honestly had no idea how to use it, or what would become of this venture. I went with the Nikon D3200, and a 50 mm 1.4 lens. 

Not knowing the first thing on how get the shots I was after, I signed up for an online Intro to Photography course. The class forced me and inspired me to pull my camera out everyday, to wear it always and let it become a part of me.

I shot everything and everyone, my children the premier muses.Every now and then I would get lucky and get that perfect image, but that's where the problem lied- it was simply luck not skill. So, I kept on. . .

The sheer might of being behind the lens, a wizard just entering Hogwarts. That was me, I was learning to stop time, to make magic. 

Gradually, over the past few months, they have started to look more the way I imagined. I can see improvement and feel a confidence building. It's one of the aspects of photography I enjoy most- you have never truly arrived. There is always so much more the learn, new equipment to master, recently discovered techniques to attempt. And, while I may feel like my behind the camera skills are getting some better, editing is still my nemesis.