Yesterday, I was checking some of the stats on my personal blog, and realized I've begun posting a lot of stuff about photography. In fact, with 26 posts in the Digital Photography & Imaging category, it was clear to me I might want to consider creating a dedicated home for my photos.
Thus, this blog was born.
I don't pretend to be any type of gifted artist. Truth be told, I'm more of an "accidental photographer". I love photos, and I'm passionate about recording life through still images. But I wasn't terribly good behind the lens. In fact, they say it's as easy as point-and-shoot ... well, I'd claim to be more of a point-and-pray photographer. Y'know ... praying the image actually turns out right.
But over the years, as I indulged in my love of scrapbooking, I found myself drawn to pages that featured phenomenal photos. And I began noticing things about those photos that I loved. Use of focal length to focus on the subject, leaving the rest of the image blurry. Creative framing, be it down low, up high, from the side, etc. Gorgeous lighting. And more often than not, candid shots that captured the emotion of their subjects because they didn't realize they were being photographed.
I started by borrowing my best girlfriend's digital SLR and doing a lot of reading and playing. I found that a telephoto lens makes a huge difference.
Then, this spring, I finally purchased my own Nikon D200 with a 55-200mm Nikkor. And I began photographing everything.
The more I play, the more I read, the more I experiment ... I find I'm looking at the world around me in a very different way ... and I find the photos I take are improving by leaps and bounds.
I guess I'm no longer a point-and-pray photographer. But then again, every time I frame up a particularly beautiful image in my viewfinder, and catch the light just right, I say a little prayer and thank God for the beauty of his creation. And for putting me in the right place at the right time to capture it. And for giving me this hobby that helps me slow down and actually examine the world around me, rather than just rushing past it at a thousand miles an hour.
So yeah ... I'm still a point-and-pray photographer ... but now, instead of a prayer for guidance, it's a prayer of gratitude.
Hence, the name of this blog.
