Why I Shoot

I have been asked the question why I am so attacked to photography a million times, and I sure I will be asked this question a million times more before replace my lens cap for the last time. One would think I would
be tired of answering that question, but to be honest I don't think I could ever get tired of that question. I see that one question as a way for someone to get to know a little more about me, and who I am. It is a way for the to live my life for just 5 minutes as I tell them about my love for photography, and what it means to me. It is a way for me to share with the world what God has given to me.

I never thought I would love photography as much as I do today. If you would have asked me to take a picture of something 15 years ago I would have done it, but there would have been no thought or love in the taking of that one image. The spark in me had not been lit as of yet. I always liked taking pictures at family function, but never thought much about what I was doing, or even cared what the pictures looked like at the end of the day. I just snapped away trying to finish the roll of film so I could move on to something else. But, 10 years ago I bought a point and shoot camera on ebay, and my life changed. I can't say what changed with the purchase of the camera, I just know something had changed. I looked at this camera as if it were some new invention that the world had never seen before, and wanted to be the first to figure out how to use it, and how to create art with it. I started taking pictures of everything I saw. But I did not just put the camera in front of my face, and push the shutter. I started looking at my subjects as I thought others would see them as they view my images. I tried to think outside of my own head, and I still do this today. I carried that Minolta Dimage Z1 everywhere I went. I took pictures of people on the street, buildings, trash, water, tree. You name it I took a picture of it, But, I did not just want to take picture. I wanted to take an image that would wow people when they say what I had done. Right away people started telling me I had a great eye for photography. I had no idea what that meant, but it made me feel good, and want to shoot even more. 

I will not bore you with every little detail that got me to to where I am am today. I will just tell you that over the next few years I bought several cameras, and started gaining recognition as someone who took a pretty good picture.

So, why is it that I love photography, and I love to shoot as much as I can. It is very simple. Photography gives me a since of joy that I can't find anywhere else. Photography uses more than just my eye as it's tool, it uses my mind's creativity in ways I would have never thought of using it. Photography is not just about putting a camera at something, and pushing the shutter. It is about becoming a part of that subject for just a second. I see the final image before I push the shutter. Photography is my way of giving the world a small part of me through art. Some may say that photography is not an art for like painting or sculpture, but it truly is an art form. To capture an image that evokes emotion in a person is no less impressive that to paint an image that does the same for a person. I look at photography as a way for me to show the world what I see though my eyes. People may not always like what I see, but they will always get a true vision of what I see. This is why I love photography, an why I love to shoot. It is because photography is as much a part of me as I am a part of it. We are bond for life.