For one of my classes I’ve been asked to touch on the subject of how I started taking photographs so here goes.

Ever since I was maybe 10 or 11, I’ve been fascinated with the idea of capturing, containing and owning photographs and videos.  It started when I borrowed my friends dad’s video camera to film skateboarding—I would get more excited about filming a trick than I would when I learned one my self (this would probably explain why I’ve never gotten too good at skating).  I felt a bit richer every time I would add another photo or video clip to my collection.

Fast forward 3 years.  My family took a vacation to southern Africa during their winter.  The sun never got too far over head, so the lighting conditions were beautiful for most of the day.  It was the first time I had noticed light like that, but I didn’t have a camera to capture it.  I borrowed my dad’s camera every time he’d let me, and I decided that I’d buy a camera when I got home.

Since then I’ve realized what photography is capable of; it’s allowed me to travel the world, meet people I would never have met without a camera, and allowed me to experience things I never would have otherwise.  I also still get that same feeling of wealth every time I develop film or load photos onto the computer—it’s the most rewarding feeling I know.