Beginnings in Photography

ISO100  5mm  f/3.5  1/250sec  BW  6/15/2010

I am taking a basic photography class.  I have learned so much in the last week I can't keep it all in my head.  The exciting part is that I will learn how to transition from thinking about "taking" pictures to "making" photographs.  Photography literally means "drawing with light".  Not only does that sound like a romantic idea, it is exactly the creative outlet I have been looking for.  In the short time that I have begun this journey I am looking at the things around me differently.  Whether it is actually stopping to look at something I have never seen or stopping to look at something that I have seen dozens of times and never considered how it might be represented artistically.  I have to consider what seems interesting to me, something I rarely take the time to think about.  I have to pay attention to lighting, patterns, textures, and combinations of colors.  All of these things are an integral part of what makes a photograph moving or thought provoking. Some scenes are more interesting in color, others in black and white.  Then there is the opportunity to improve an image with tools that enhance the camera's natural limitations.  With digital photogrpahy you can make mistakes with no cost, making the possibilities endless.  There is no right or wrong, just the impression left on the person viewing the picture.