A Start
“How did you learn photography?” I get asked that somewhat often, usually by friends who’ve known me since before I got serious about the “hobby.” The question comes in different forms: “How long have you been taking pictures?” “What made you start taking photos?” Or even the implied question in “I didn’t know you were a photographer!”
The truth is, I didn’t know either. Nor do I ever know how to give a sufficient answer to those questions. I usually shrug and say something about how photography is a way to get out of the house during the pandemic, which is mostly true. Or how it’s a way to avoid folding laundry, which is certainly true. Or I make a half joke about mid-life crisis, and how it’s cheaper than a mistress/Porsche/golf. Which is probably true.
Inside, I often blanch at the question, slightly embarrassed for some reason that I can’t put my finger on. I roll through a list of self-deprecating reasons why I’m NOT actually a photographer; usually to myself, but sometimes out loud. I feel imposter syndrome looming behind me. I see the rollercoaster infographic of the Dunning–Kruger effect and wonder where I am on the slope.
But ultimately, the question is really “Why do you take photographs?” I think my difficulty finding a good answer — a true answer — is tied up in the struggle of finding meaning in what we do, in the choices we make, in the path we take (or in the path we sometimes find ourself on).
This blog is an attempt to tease out the threads that make up the fabric of that question. The plan here is to lean less toward the technical minutiae of f-stops, ISO values, and camera specs*, and more toward why am I compelled to go out to shoot. Less about what I carry in my camera bag and more about what I carry with me as I drive through the woods to find a shot. My hope is that, through looking inward about why I look outward through a lens, I’ll find some bigger answers about meaning, purpose, and what’s truly important in my life. And maybe in yours, too.
Thank you for reading and for going with me on this ride.
*Don’t worry. There will still be a fair amount of tech specs for all you crunchy gear heads and dreamy tonez nerds out there.
