Photography Is A Journey – Phase 1: The Possibilities are Limitless

As the title says on its own, photography to me was, is, and will be a journey. It is one of many ups and downs, of periods of inspiration and expiration, and of many different phases. But it is one I will continue to go on, for better or worse.

My closest friends know how crazy I am about photography. It’s also how I came about to decide the tagline of this website.

Some people may ask, how is photography a ‘journey’? It’s a noun, it’s a hobby, it’s an activity, it’s a job, it’s an art… There are so many words to describe it. So why is it of all those suitable words, I decide it to be called a ‘journey’?

Well, simply because, in the past two years of doing this, I’ve gone through so many phases.

I’d like to call Phase 1: The Possibilities are Limitless.

What do I mean by this? Well, during the days of which you use a simple point and shoot (P&S) digital camera, things were simpler. You pick it up, you set it to Auto, and as the name suggests, you point and you shoot. Done. Whatever comes out of the camera, is decided by how you ‘composed’ the shot, and how the camera wants the shot to come out. Sure, some might argue that you have some control over it, eg. scene modes, +/- ev compensation, high iso… but seriously, not everyone bothers. A majority of P&S owners are more than happy to leave it on Auto, and just snap.

However, the day you pick up a DSLR, is like walking into a whole new world of possibilities. It’s like all of a sudden you broke down the walls of the 3x zoom, the so-so image quality, etc. There’s nothing you can’t do. The images look sharper, have an obvious depth of field, there’s the ‘bokeh’, there’s FULL MANUAL control. It becomes all about what YOU can do, not what the CAMERA can take. You read and research, and you realise the pros are using similar cameras, and the world suddenly is full of different opportunities.

You go to the nearby zoo or bird park or what not, and you start shooting birds, animals and aspire to be a wildlife photographer. You start taking photos of your family members and relatives and you start wanting to be the family’s official photographer. You start photographing your beautiful beau, and you start aspiring to become a portrait photographer. You attend a friend’s wedding, and you take a few shots, and you feel you have the ability to become a wedding photographer. You hit the streets and snap everyday life, and suddenly you’re a street journalist.

There’s so much excitement, so much joy, it’s like, wow.

Your camera suddenly goes everywhere with you. In the eyes of the uninitiated you’re a professional, lugging around this brand new bling-bling of a camera like a fashion statement with pride.

And without warning you arrive at Phase 2. I’d like to call this phase, The Gear What-Ifs…

Photography Is A Journey

Phase 1 – The Possibilities are Limitless
Phase 2 – The Gear What-Ifs
Phase 3 – The Official Assignment
Phase 4 – The Photographic Lull
Phase 5 – Defining The Photographer In You

PS: I know there will be those out there who started with film, and I bow and kowtow to you for I have the utmost respect for you. This and the following articles are written with digital in mind, so sit back, and know that this might not be so relevant for you, but I do hope you can draw parallels as well.