Photography

So I have bit the bullet and bought a new Canon Rebel EOS T1i. A digital SLR (stands for "single lens-reflex a fancy way of saying that what you see in the viewfinder is nearly 100% accurate to the image or light that  is coming through the lens). I have spent quite a bit of time looking for the right camera and lens(s) to buy and I think I made a good choice with the amount of money that I could spend on a camera at this time. That is just the beginning, learning how to take good photographs that make the viewer wowed is another story entirely. You could have the most expensive equipment in the world but without the basic understanding of art and structure your photographs will be rubbish.

So why spend time learning photography and the art of taking great photos?

I am enthralled by  the ability to capture beautiful moments in time that will last forever. When you take a photograph you will never be able to recapture the exact same image again. If you end up in the right spot at the right time without a camera you have lost the opportunity to shoot a spectacular moment.

Jay Maisel, one of the greatest photographers in history really summed up why he takes photographs in the following statement. "The serendipity of not knowing what I am going to shoot is what keeps me going." He carries his camera everywhere he goes and when he takes photographs they happen mostly spontaneously, he doesn't know what he is going to shoot until the opportunity arises. And that's really it, you never know what you are going to shoot and that is exciting. When you do capture the perfect picture it all pays off for having the know how to have made that image look amazing.

The art, creativity, and freedom of taking photographs is really surreal. I cherish to have the ability to be able to share photographs with my family and others. The experience of going back in time to when the photograph was taken is priceless. 

Gabe