Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Photography Love

My love for photography began in high school. It was very unlike me to take an art class. I had hurried through my courses and had the opportunity take a break from intense academic classes my senior year. This is when I fell completely in love with photography.

I'm an introvert and an observer. I think that I was always making photos, I just didn't have a camera until I was 17. Photography allows me to capture moments in time, the way I see them. It is a tool that helps me define my perspective of the world. As an adolescent girl, struggling with life and trying to find her way in the world, photography fostered my sense of self. In a way, it gave me a voice. One that I have finally found and will forever be developing.

Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter.”
– Ansel Adams

Though it has been years, I also love being in a darkroom. I love the scent of chemicals, the hue of a safe light, loading my film reel in pitch darkness and watching my photographs develop in what seems like magical liquid. I learned to develop photographs in a darkroom back when digital photography was unheard of. Even when I took photography in college, all of my photos were developed in a darkroom. You lose track of time in that comforting cave and the hour you set aside to work somehow turns into three or four. When I reflect on those times, I realize that it was an awesome way to be in the here and now.

For me the printing process is part of the magic of photography.
It’s that magic that can be exciting, disappointing, rewarding and frustrating all
in the same few moments in the darkroom.”
– John Sexton

I have finally made the transition to digital photography and I absolutely love my software program. The thing I love about digital photography is how simple it is to finalize a photo (if I don't think too much). I can create a photograph in a couple of minutes. Now if I get into my neurotic/perfectionist mode, I can spend a substantial amount of time on just one photograph but at least I'm fostering my creativity. I love seeing the before and after. I will always be amazed at how you can make one photograph look so different. For example,

Photo 1


Photo 2


Photo 3


Photo 4


Photo 5

In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.”
– Alfred Stieglitz

9 comments:

  1. Gorgeous! I was really into photography when I was in high school, and I recently bought a fun new camera to play with. I need a decent software program though...

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  2. Nice photos!

    I've been doing digital for a while, but I don't have any software to edit the photos so the most I can do is tweak color, brightness and red-eye!

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  3. beautiful jaime...I love photography and the flight of obtaining the 'perfect' photo!

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  4. SO awesome.. love these.. stopping by via the A - Z Challenge. :)

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  5. Beautiful. I live in Florida, too. Paradise! I write, and need to better my photography skills as I often need photos. Stop by and say hi on your A-Z journey!

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  6. Those are so cool!! I really want to get a better camera... I wasn't impressed with the one we got last time at all. Every time I go to the store, I walk by the camera section and COVET

    Jo
    In Which We Start Anew

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  7. Jaime, your work is lovely, I like the feel of the 4th one, check out Kim Klassen, she has some great tips, backgrounds and tutorials using digital art - http://www.kimklassencafe.com/round-trip/ I've been trying to improve using photoshop elements...Blessings

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Amanda. I appreciate this. I've actually been doing a lot of research lately and finally started working with raw photos. There is so much to this art but it's also so enjoyable.

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