Day 2: A Passionate Post
I’m often asked how and why I got into photography and how I stay passionate about it. Honestly, I cannot put my finger on how my love of photography began, but I have always loved photos. I remember as a young child looking through our family photo albums over and over again. (yes, I was an adorable child, to answer that burning question!) 😉
I can recall always wanting to use mom’s instamatic camera to take pictures. You know, the ones with the little square flash cubes? I remember when Polaroids became popular and would sit and wait and watch for those photos to appear! What cool technology that was to a kid of of 70’s. That is probably why I love cameras and have a pretty cool collection on display in my office.
When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to take a photography class. My teacher was Art Meade. I called him Artsy Fartsy and he tolerated me most of the time. He was a good guy and a great teacher. We learned the art of exposure and went into to dark room to develop our film and print our photos. It was not a cheap endeavor either. My mom, who was single and working her tail off to keep me in the designer clothes I was accustomed to, bought me a used Canon AE-1 Program camera with an extra lens and accessories at a local music store in downtown Conway, Arkansas, called Olsen’s. It was one of my best gifts to receive. Sadly, on my senior trip, our hotel room was robbed and my beloved camera was one of the items stolen, along with my unprocessed film from my senior year of high school including prom, graduation and the trip. I cried. My mom cried even more. 🙁
My passion subsided for awhile, but I always had a point and shoot camera and found a way to buy film and have tons of 4×6 photos from my college years! Yes, we even took lots of selfies back then.
When I took my job in PR & Marketing at a local community college in the early 2000’s, one of my job duties was taking pictures, so my photography skills came in handy. I then got another awesome gift from my husband…a Canon Rebel XTI digital camera. I still have him. (the camera and the husband). That camera has literally taken thousands of pictures over the years and I used it in my budding side business for several years.
I have since moved on to my Canon 6D and I must say I love him a lot too. My passion for photography goes much deeper than my love of cameras though. I truly feel that the real art and passion of photography is in the images that are captured and although I admit better equipment is definitely a plus, it does not make a photographer. I truly feel that comes from the passion. I hope my passion continues to grow and that I am able to share what I love for many more years. It has brought me so much joy and has allowed me the chance to meet and develop some great relationships.