Following your passion
Dream big.
We've all heard those words. But what 'dreaming big' really means has more to do with a lot of work than only dreaming of all the wonderful things that could happen... if only you'd start doing them.
When I was 11 I purchased my first digital camera; it was 2001. and the camera was a gray little thingy with no screen and focus needed to be guessed. That first camera allowed me to take numerous photos and start exploring the world from a different perspective; something that will, over time, become my aesthetic viewpoint.
The biggest change for me was my first DSLR purchase in 2009. I was so thrilled to finally have a ''real'' camera because I had two lenses in my lens-kit that I could use!
That was when I started modelling for myself, creating a lot of self-portraits because I was the only 'model' who was always available. I would stay awake at night and experiment with longer exposures, I would go outside the house in a dress during cold weather because I wanted to see how a particular scene could look with me in it, I would photograph my bare back in the tub while my roommate was away.
We all have our beginnings. Most of the time, looking back, those beginnings look humble, but they were crucial for they've made us work.
As any skill, photography takes a lot of devotion, passion, practice and time. You're not a robot and you can't DO everything, so you need to prioritize (that also includes a night in editing while your friends go to a great party. But hey, no hangover the next day!).
I've been devoted to photography and, after five years of continuous shooting with DSLRs I can see how much my skills have altered and, also, how much I've yet to learn.
And - guess what? - it's still so much fun! Every new shoot is a new challenge, and every theme I explore makes me see more, try more, create more. It's like sugar - once you get used to it, you crave it every day. And craving creation is not all that bad, right?