A Beginner's Experience

A Beginner's Experience

a short story about my experience when I started the passion that i loved.

1, 2, 3, *capture*. That is the one and only thing I know when I started photography. I guess everyone started with that. When I am only an acquaintance with the word photography, I only knew that you will just turn on your camera, point the lens in the subject then press the shutter then your done. I literally don't have any idea that photography is like a universe that has many interesting things to know and explore. 

It all started when my father, an OFW come back home 7 years ago. When we got home from the airport, my dad gave me a gift that I don't have any idea what it is. A gadget that i don't know how to use, a camera.
Dad gave me a Canon Powershot SX50, a bridge camera. Then I ask him "what does this thing can do?". He replied "use this thing to capture wonderful things and memories and to keep it in a digital storage". I was only 9 years old and i don't even have a single idea what is the meaning of my dad's answer. Then the next day he started teaching me some features of a camera and how it works. I am in 4th grade that time and I'm not interested in photography that's why my mind won't absorb any word that my dad said. So when my father goes back to China, I didn't use the camera and left it in my room.

Canon Powershot SX50
my first camera

a picture I've taken using my
phone

4 years have passed when I got my first Android phone and I created an Instagram account .I was browsing in Instagram until I saw posts of some famous photographers just like Brandon Woelfel. I was amazed by the pictures they produced and that pushes me to have an interest in photography. I already forgot that i have my own camera that's why I started taking mobile photography (Read my upcoming blog!). I can see in my shots that there is something that is lacking  not only the quality my phone can give. There is something that I don't know what it is but I know that it is missing to make my crafts beautiful.

I started to conduct a research about photography. I bought some books about photography and read it cover to cover. I studied at YouTube university watching multiple videos a day about tutorials in photography until I know some basic learnings that every aspiring photographers must know just like the exposure triangle, composition, focusing, depth of field, post processing and many more. I repeat this routine for months and years then I saw my bridge camera and used it again to hone my skills and reflect all my learnings. 

one of my best shots when I started photography

At first I am still not satisfied in my crafts. Subject is still blurry, composition is not appropriate etc. I also got criticized by other people who is greater than me in taking pictures and made me a laughingstock. Even though it hurts, all the criticism and laughs just strengthens me and motivate me more to practice and practice. Click the shutter again and again. I also buy a dslr camera for me to produce more beautiful photographs. Some of my equipments broke because of being used up but I buy some new equipments and continue to strive harder.

Years have passed and now i am still into photography . Photography became my hobby and I can also call it my profession. Being a backup photographer in some events became my part time job and made me earn money to buy things I need and I want. I also use all my learnings in school by being a photographer in some school events. And also it made me understand what my dad said that to keep memories and made me understand that photography makes memories more alive making it's vibes still present when you see every pictures you keep. 

picture of the moon I've taken without using other peripherals just my camera

It's been 3 years and I still consider myself a beginner in photography. I'm still learning some things and still studying in making my crafts better. To all aspiring photographers, I just want to say that keep on striving for better shots, don't lose hope once you started to love photography. Appreciate every shots anytime you press the shutter button. Strive harder until every shots you made satisfy you and others. Lastly, always keep those beautiful stories and memories by capturing those moments with a camera.

<3