Posted 09 September 2010 - 12:00 AM
Thank you for looking and commenting!
I took a break because I had the realization that most of my photos didn't mean a thing and sometimes felt a bit like stroking my ego and not much else. In retrospect it was a learning experience, but getting up at 4 in the morning, burning a wad of gas to get to some pretty place and take pictures countless others had taken before started to feel empty and selfish, at least to continue doing it. Taking all those landscape photos before I took a break did help me through a very difficult time of my life, and when I got to the other side of the despair, it was time to find a new direction. For now I want to make photos that will be valued by people other than me, and the best way to do that is to make photos of people. Some day I hope to be able to make a living at it, but to get there, I need to practice and be able to get consistent professional results. Unfortunately I kind of suck at portraits and posing, so it is again a learning experience. The photos you see here are the result of culling hundreds of crappy photos to get a few that came out nice. Someday I hope it doesn't take so much effort and trial and error and I can take great photos instinctively, but I have a long way to go. Right now my best compositions are marred by technical defects and my technically perfect photos are bland and flat. I now how to operate the camera but I don't know how to direct a human being and come out with a natural compelling portrait.
Thanks again!