A few months ago, I talked about how I evolved into a photographer, and over the course of the years,  my photography has evolved too.  We all had to get our start somewhere.   In my early photography, I had several “happy accidents” with my camera.  I didn’t even realize how I created some of the images – settings and camera angle and lighting all left to haphazard fate.  Nothing planned or pre-visualized or painstakingly researched.  So when I managed to create the image below,  it was was a game-changer for me.   It’s the one that made me think that photography might be something I wanted to do more of.  I’d been taking a night class for several semesters trying to get a handle on this camera that was gifted to me by my wonderful husband.  The evening that I took the picture, I remember that the color of the sky was so warm and beautiful.  I remember seeing the Queen Anne’s lace on the hill up in front of me.  Beyond that?  I don’t remember much else.  I have no idea what my camera settings were because it wasn’t a conscious choice that night.  I didn’t know enough to be able to make that kind of decision, yet.  But this is the image that stopped me in tracks and made me want to know more.  It made me want to figure out how to replicate that situation again.  Years later, I had this image printed on a large canvas that now graces my dining room wall as a reminder of what sparked my passion.

I was going through a pile of clutter the other day, trying desperately to tidy up my space and I happened upon a photo, buried under a mess of paperwork and school detritus.   It was a print from my trip into the mountains with my aunt and uncle when I was in 6th grade.  I knew nothing about photography at the time but I managed to convince myself that the weight of the camera was worth it in my already heavy backpack.  I don’t remember the time of day, or where we were or what was happening that made me notice this moment.  In fact, I don’t even remember taking the shot.  I just remember getting the roll of film back from the developer and liking it.  Turning it over and over in my hands trying to see if I thought the mountain was clearer in the reflection.  I eventually submitted the photo for our school PTA’s Reflections contest.  It was specifically for that reason that my photo was amongst the clutter.  I had wanted to show it to my kids when they brought home the announcement of their school’s Reflections contest.

The act of finding this photo made me nostalgic about the road that I’ve travelled in my photographic journey.  Over the years, I have taken (and still take) my fair share of mediocre images.  Before I understood what aperture and white balance were.  Before the practice with my camera and my timing and the learning from my inevitable mistakes.  Before being comfortable enough in my own skin to be able to add in my own my artistic vision.

It’s hard, sometimes, to look back objectively and without harsh criticism.   I have a tendency to notice all my mistakes and to laugh unkindly at my naïveté.   But going backwards to evaluate your work is still part of the process.  When you look back at your early photos, what do you see?  Can you still feel the excitement you felt when, while still learning, you captured something you thought was particularly wonderful?  I try to impart upon my students the importance of not just learning from your mistakes but also of taking the time to celebrate your achievements.  With that sentiment in mind, I’d like to show you a few of my very early images that, although lacking in technical precision, still show hint of photographic potential.   Momentary breakthroughs that left me eager to keep trying.

Trying to capture the intimacy of a gesture with my first niece…

 

Changing perspective with the help of Jack the Cat, when he was just a kitten in our first house…

Playing with pattern while looking down on the lobby of the company I worked for in London…

 

At my friend’s wedding, trying to create an artistic and unique perspective of the first dance…

In the garage of a friend’s rental home as I struggled with the nuances of autofocus and aperture….

As I look back at the images I created early in my evolution, I see the beginnings of my own style and vision starting to show through.  My fascination with reflections, my love for unique perspectives, my fondness for saturated color and my constant struggle for sharpness.

Over the years, my camera needs have also evolved.  I moved from a film point and shoot to a pocket-sized digital camera when I was living overseas so that I could share the pictures of my travels more easily with my family and friends back home.  When I outgrew the capabilities of my small camera, my husband gave me the first model of the Canon Digital Rebel that came out on the prosumer market.  Now I shoot primarily with my Canon 5D Mark III and although I haven’t nearly come close to outgrowing it’s capabilities, I still long for a smaller, more compact option that’s more advanced than my iPhone.  A friend of mine was telling me about a new camera technology from Light.co that might just fit the bill.   In the meantime, I’ll just keep doing yoga to be strong enough to lug around my heavy gear.

Today, I challenge you to show us some of your early images.  The “happy accidents.”  The images that made you want to learn and do more.  And let’s celebrate them together with all their imperfections, because after all, one of our Viewfinder Manifestos states:

 

Keep on evolving. – Angie