Life, Love, Sex

Experience

I had an amazing experience yesterday.

I got behind the camera and started taking pictures and really, really felt like that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.  More so than all the other times I’ve used my camera.

We had a little workshop yesterday for the photo students and we were doing portraits of each other or whoever we could get.  I was timid at first, just watching everyone else and trying to come up with my own idea.  My one friend was doing a dark, dramatic portrait but I started formulating in my head that I wanted a white background.  I asked one of the girls if I could shoot her since she had some of the most beautiful blue eyes I’ve ever seen and we found a great sunlit room to do it in (I was shooting digital for this).

We had a great helper too (and so freaking HOT.  Every girl there had a huge crush on him, lol.).  He just taught us so much and was so helpful in just helping us achieve what we wanted (rather than telling us how he would do it).

So we set up, put a white reflector board behind her for the background and I just started taking pictures.  It was a total “Duh” moment- like, “Duh, this is totally what I’m supposed to do.”  With in the first 10 frames I just said how I wanted to do it forever.  I’ve always known I was drawn to portraiture, but because I’d never had a real opportunity to do something so set up like this, it wasn’t as concrete as a desire.

Now I’m certain that I really, really want to shoot people.

And I’m even more excited to be helping Barbara Nitke tomorrow (I also feel like I’ll be of a little more use because of how much I learned).

(I also feel a little ready to start transitioning to digital, but I would never abandon film.  I’m just beginning to try out medium format!  My first roll right now!)

I have a portrait assignment coming up for class this semester and I can’t wait to do it.  I think I’m gonna do my mom, or maybe both her and my step-dad.

It took me a little while to get to this point (and lots of random majors beforehand) but I’m so excited to finally have a direction (and also feel like I’m good at it).