Parts of Me
Parts of Me
I’ve always had this strange fascination with photography, well professional photography. Like Frans Lanting who’s was able to capture beautiful up-close animal photos, photojournalists like Dorothea Lange, astrophotography of other worlds, and war photographers like Don McCullin whose photos all a story to tell but can’t forget the most famous photographer Peter Parker also known as Spiderman. Why do I look up to these photographers? Well because their photos were art, art that had a purpose in telling the story of a specific moment in time that may never happen again because that kind of art is the most meaningful.
Yet the Merriam Webster definition of a photographer is “One who practices photography; especially: one who makes a business of taking photographs.” But I’m making some extra cash as a current photographer am I a professional? Well, I don’t consider myself a pro mostly because of my upbringing in photography.
Photography has always been in our family. Since I was little, I’ve always remembered my parents taking photos of everything well mostly of themselves and family, but they’ve also recorded everything, literally everything from my little brother bathing to us running naked playing tag. If you look back, they all were very cringing photos and videos of us growing up, horrible English, shaky camera, some blurry photos, they weren’t professionals just hobbyists trying to capture these short precious moments with us. If you were to come to our house all you’ll see are photos everywhere, photo albums stacked on our shelves, and hundreds of VHS; YES! VHS filled with memories of our family.
My family wasn’t the richest, but we were always taken care of and kept happy, it didn’t mean we didn’t have our difficult times it just meant when we did have these moments together, we appreciated it a bit more. Naturally, my mother also notices I’ve been borrowing cameras from friends and family taking photos of scenery and bugs just randomly because they were the easiest subjects to capture; she knowing that went out of her way to buy my very own camera on my birthday it wasn’t anything professional it was a Kodak digital camera a very simple point and shoot camera because she didn’t grow up here in the US she doesn’t know what’s the difference. I appreciated it so much I took photos of everything buildings, family events beautiful scenery.
Growing up I learn that if I wanted something, I must earn it and save up being a kid, it was hard because well I didn’t work. I helped with the laundromat every night to make a few bucks and spending it on my siblings, it was kind of like taxes you know making all the money but having to give it up because your parents tell you to. It’s a great lesson, to be honest, I learn to live without really wanting things back because my parents would say if you truly love them you wouldn’t have to ask it back. A very rough lesson yes but it had its benefits you can say. As I was going into high school my mom bought me a new camera also to replace my broken Kodak; A Canon PowerShot SX160 IS, long name but hey my mom thought it’s canon so it's professional. I appreciated my parents for always trying their best even when they couldn't offer me the best of things.
By my Junior year of high school, I’ve already eyed those big photographer cameras costing thousands, it just amazes me every time to this day how much pro-photographers spend. During this time, I was also picking up phone photography because it was during the beginning of Instagram hype and everyone was becoming a photographer. But to me, there’s something about regular camera quality that differs from phone photography.
This is why I’ve never thought of myself as a professional then and now because I didn’t do anything as the big pros did; war photos, photos of wild predators; how could a kid do that. Most of all I’ve always seen professional photographers print their photos. I’m not talking about ink printers like today I’m talking about darkroom film printing with the red lights. That what fascinated me as a kid about how much time and effort the pros put into this work. Today you don’t see too much of that anymore mostly because good ink printers could produce more photos faster with the similar or same quality. I’m not saying dark rooms are obsolete I’m just saying it’s not a common practice anymore. That’s why growing up knowing that with these dedicated skills that’s how you knew you were a professional photographer, but you can say I’m conflicted in today’s world of photography where the lines are blur or you can say the lines I drew were slowly blurring.
Near the end of my freshman year of college, I was able to save up for a Canon T7i probably the closest to being a professional. As my photography skills got better and my understanding of photography and messing with a DSLR camera I had an epiphany, that the truth of photography is really just all in how you work the camera and how you control the ambient light. It’s a paintbrush, you capture moments frozen time for a bit for others to appreciate the artistry, that’s the purpose in telling a story of a specific moment in time that may never happen again. It doesn’t have to take a $2000 camera and a $1000 lens to deliver a meaningful photo. That those simple digital cameras my parents bought me can deliver professional work as I work with what I have will bring me close to who I strive to be.
That’s photography for me, it’s been part of my life and my family’s life. It’s a hobby that now turns into a profession. There’s still so much to learn in photography as it’s always changing, and I hope you reading this will be part of my journey to be a better person and a better photographer than I was yesterday.
This is a Part of Me.
-adearest
all of these old photos are taken on a simple phone camera or a budget point and shoot camera.