Catching the Moment

I have always been indecisive when it comes to my work. Whether it’s a new short story, or a photograph to upload, I can never decide if it’s the best it can be. Some say this makes me a perfectionist, and while I do consider myself detail-oriented, a perfectionist is too strong of a word to define someone who revels in making flaws beautiful, such as I. I have a tendency to revise and revisit even my published work every now and then. Although, there is something so unique and truly me that I find beautiful in the smudges on my painted canvases, or the blurring in a really professional looking portrait. Things that others would define as beneath the line of perfection is what really catches my eye. Those are the moments I truly wish to catch.

Thanks to having an amazing instructor, the articles and reading I had access to also influence my decisions. Learning about my camera’s sensitivity levels to light reflected how I positioned my picture. I also downloaded some cool apps because of these readings like the Moment- Pro Camera (which was $5.99! A bit pricey for us broke college students but totally worth it). Also, figuring out more information when it comes to photo editing like focus, white balance, exposure, contrast and brightness. All of these things are so necessary when it comes to taking the best picture possible. The YouTube videos and tutorials are always a great start, especially because those of us into photography as mostly visual learners. All of this information should be taken advantage of regardless of your level in photography. A little knowledge goes a long way!

When I first started this assignment, I actually had no idea where to begin. That is very unlike me. I am a strategist. I have an image, an ideal, or even a baseline blueprint drawn out in my mind where I want to take things. Although with this, for some reason, I could not even draw a defining line of the blueprint of where this project was going to go. Did I want more of a scenic view, with a small glimpse of someone’s complete look of enjoyment in the food? Did I want the image to be posed with a fall-like background? I decided to take pictures, and just figure it out as I go. Living in that moment, and just magically capturing a natural photograph was an outside the box thing for me. If I know I’m going somewhere with the mindset of taking photograph, I tend to focus only on the task and not enjoy myself. It’s different when you lose yourself to the scene with friends, and end up capturing great photos to publish on a personal page. I had to lose the mind frame of, “this is work, not play”, and encourage my fun side to come out. If this is something I love to do, then why not have fun. Why is everything school or job related so serious? When this mindset came into play, that is when I found my winning photo, and with that I present to you me “catching the moment”.