Ha! Couldn’t resist that title. But taking pictures. Taking pictures in public. Maybe when you started shooting, you were able to completely shut out the rest of the world and let yourself just snap away. It took me a while longer, though. Sure, I could head out into my garden, even my neighbor’s garden or, heck, down the block a bit to find just the right angle on the drops bouncing off the puddle.

I have had to ease into shooting in public quite a bit. Out at “typical camera spots” – museums, zoos, those places where visitors often are – or in the relative seclusion of a restaurant booth were places that eased me into public shooting. With a phone, you can so easily blend in and get away with almost anything. With a “big kid camera” it’s a little trickier to feel like it’s a normal thing.

Little by little I have started working on myself, though. It wasn’t really a problem of what is and isn’t allowed (mostly it is, or no one really cares), but rather how comfortable I was with pulling that big camera out. I’ve come to convince myself that it’s just a part of who I am and how I move through the world. I am that woman, wife, mama who has a big camera and is going to use it.

All the best,
Alison

P.S. Full disclosure – about a year ago I picked up a Fuji mirrorless that is a bit less obtrusive and has also given me a little boost of confidence when out and about. The 23mm lens that I use with it is the same size as the 50mm that I use on my big Nikon, but the camera body is a fair bit more compact. A few of the images above were taken with that little guy.