Shifting focus

I have been taking pictures since I was in 3rd grade.....how old are you when you are in third grade, like, eight? I got my first Kodak instamatic 126 camera for a birthday or Christmas present and I still have the photos I took of my friend Susan hanging on the jungle gym in the playground at school. I also have multiple 30 gallon rubbermaid tubs in storage with countless photos stashed away. I took the same B&W photography class at the local community college twice right after I graduated from high school because I was going to be a female Ansel Adams.....well, sort of. I lugged around 4 or 5 framed Ansel Adams poster prints with me from apartment to apartment  in my early 20's. I was even accepted to the photography program at an art school in Pennsylvania in the late eighties and packed up all of my belongings and moved there only to find that I had no way to come up with tuition and had no idea what financial aid was and so I didn't get to go. I have picked up and put down photography off and on what seems like all of my life.

I was a die hard film advocate.....I was NEVER going to go digital.....digital isn't REAL photography, right? Well, that's what I thought. Remember APS? The film format that was going to revolunize how film was handled and distorted 35mm format? I LOVED that.....briefly....I still have all of my little APS film cannisters with my negatives in them. Actually took one of the coolest pictures I have ever taken with APS film....shooting into the sun at the Folsom Rodeo some time in the late 90's. A fabulous silhouette of a cowboy on a chute fence in the sunset. That picture actually made it into an art show.

Because I resisted digital I didn't really get up to speed with all that digital has to offer until a couple of years ago....and it was merely because the Universe intervened. My Mother's cousin bought a Minolta digital camera, I can't even remember the model name, but at the time it was a VERY expensive camera, somewhere around $1200 retail --- OUCH! Anyway, it was too much camera for him and he wanted to give it to me....I resisted, but dear old Dad encouraged me to accept the camera gratefully and get on the digital photography train....so, I did. That camera was REALLY nice and even after I bought a brand new Olympus E410 and 'handed down' the Minolta to my cousin, I was wishing I still had that old Minolta....(the olympus got sold as soon as I could get rid of it so I could by a Nikon, I was NOT impressed with the Olympus after I chose it over the Nikon for live view....should have trusted my first instinct to get the Nikon). So, what was I talking about....oh, yes, getting on board with digital photography.....

So, digital photography, here I am....riding along devouring every bit of information I can get my hands on. There is soooo much to chew on, not just getting your image right in camera, but now, a dark room is merely a program on your computer and the control is intoxicatingly simple. (Well, once you become PhotoShop proficient). However, there are many simple editing programs that make digital darkroom so easy and fun and they give EVERY one the control over their images. Ah, good stuff.

Because I am becoming more and more enthralled about photography I have been jonesing for some photog friends, people who know more than me who are willing to share. Just this week I have discovered some peeps whom I can hang out with who can give me that needed comaraderie and this only makes me more excited about photography. I have spent the better part of the last two days with a lovely friend who is an amazing photographer who generously shared her knowledge and time with me and I can already feel my super powers increasing!

I will be covering my photo adventures here.... I know, the world probably doesn't need ONE MORE PHOTO blog....but, I don't care, I am going to blog my little heart out, WILDLY!

Peace

S ♥