Sunday, January 27, 2008

My Illustrious Career

Ha. That makes me laugh.
I routinely check out a lot of photography blogs. The vast majority of them are moms much like me who love to photograph their kids/family/weddings and such. It seems like many of them started taking pictures of their kids and a hobby developed into a passion, and so on and so on.
It made me think that my own journey is really quite backwards.

First I went to art school. I had a lot of fun and got to try a lot of different art techniques. It was actually before digital and we didn't get much into any computers. They started that the year after. I did take photography classes and spent time (many late nights) in a darkroom. I have a lot of respect for photographers who have mastered that craft. It's very labor intensive. Although digital work can be too, but 'dryer'. (no trays of chemicals to dip into)

Oddly enough my initial hands-on experience came from working in a chain portrait studio. With an extremely simple studio setup I got to practice just taking pictures without having to really worry about the camera. That's when I got the bug. It was such a thrill shooting a roll of film and then rushing to have it developed to see how it turned out. This is where digital is such instant gratification. Which I love!
Then I graduated to a privately owned studio where we used a medium format camera in a controlled studio (the lighting was pretty much set), as well as weddings on location. I learned a lot there and got to work with some interesting photographers. They were pretty 'old school' but it was good experience. Mostly. We were always having mechanical problems and I ended up getting burned out creatively. I had enough.

Then I got a job at the phone company. Oddly enough I'm a terrible phone person but it was the most fun I've ever had working, at least for a while. Maybe meeting my Charming Husband had something to do with it?

So now I am home with my kiddos. Which is certainly more interesting than a crappy office job (prior to my maternity leave).
I've tried to learn as much Photoshop as I can. Which is basically a grain of sand in the Photoshop desert. I love digital work. It's so rewarding.
I try to keep learning things all the time. Especially about the mechanics of photography. Lighting is my current area of learning. There are so many aspects.

And I'm still hoping that sometime in the future I'll figure out something I love to do AND get paid to do it.
Perhaps some form of photography since there isn't much demand for paid massage recipients, ice cream eaters or luxury vacationers.

3 comments:

Peace Sweet Peas said...

Someday... one day we will return... and you know it is going to be so much better than it was before.
Z is sick and the roads are icy crap so we're postponing the trip until later this week which sucks but hey is better than the alternatives.

Mrs. M said...

Our minds are slightly in sinc.
This week I've been researching photo blogs/sites, daydreaming, looking at equipment, thinking about how I could put this photog interest into some sort of business....not full on, not full time, just a creative outlet, a little mad money, not interfering with the littles, and something I would be good at & people would want...is that possible???
There's so MUCH to learn and I feel really inept sometimes. Focus, focus, focus.
I certainly know you have the talent and eye and ability...it's all about time though isn't it?

Mrs. M said...

One more thing....
I love the new header background. Great color. Very rich.