Assignment 2: My inspiration

[Myra]

I do not consider myself an artist. I still draw stick figures, only paint rainbows and make colorful circles whenever I have to sit down with my son and spend some art time with him. The only art I appreciate or understood were photographs because they were what they were.

The sole reason I ever invested on a SLR Digital camera was because I had children. I wanted to be have a good piece of equipment to be able to capture all their special moments growing up, to have something permanent to remember their youth by. I bought my first SLR camera a month before my second daughter was born and told myself to enroll in photography lessons ASAP so I could use the camera properly. My daughter will be turning one in a month’s time and I just enrolled in this course a few days ago. Yes, life with 2 young children never really goes according to planned but such is a mother’s life.

There was this one photographer that pushed me into action. I stumbled onto her website by chance and was blown away. I wanted to take pictures the way she did. I wanted to be able to capture the emotions and expressions of children the way she did. Every picture I looked at hit me like a ton of bricks with its beauty and simplicity. Immediately after going over her photos, I decided that it was time to start learning.

I could have looked online and named one of the hundreds of excellent photographers who are better known as my inspiration but that wouldn’t have been the truth. The truth is that, this self-taught photographer/mother who took amazing pictures was the sole inspiration that I needed to start my photography journey.

My goal is not to be a famous photographer. I do not intend to photograph famous people. I want to be an excellent photographer so that I can take excellent pictures of my children, and my husband, and the rest of my family and friends.

There was not just one picture that moved me because they all touched me. They were all simple and yet, so strong. I want to be able to take those kinds of pictures. Ones that do not need words to explain or lengthy discussions on what it seems to be saying. I want to be able to take pictures that speak for themselves by the sheer beauty of its composition.

After going over this photographers website, I emailed her and told her what I thought about her pictures. She replied and thanked me for the kind words. Then she ended her email with the words “the sky is the limit, my friend”. I took those words to heart and hopefully, with the knowledge and skills that I will pick up from this course, they will serve as my wings as I begin to soar the skies.

Her name is Gina Lee. Her website is http://www.ginaleephoto.com/.

She is my inspiration.

[Duncan Rawlinson]

Thank you for sharing this with us.

You’re right, she does very simple yet powerful work. Strong use of colors and shapes, yet it’s all organized in a very natural but also organized way.

Again, thank you for sharing.

[Author]

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