Post #1

I want to start off by saying that I am absolutely stoked to have gotten into this class because I have literally been trying to do so since my freshman year (I am now currently a senior). I absolutely love photography, whether I am behind the lens myself or admiring the work of someone else. I love the idea that everyone has their own concept of beauty and that they can convey it simply through having captivated an image. Photography really makes you look twice at the world around you - how you can take an ordinary object and see such elegance through its simplicity. I am specifically fascinated with photographing people. A lot of times photographs can tell you an aspect about someone that you would never normally pick up - and I'm not just talking about the cliche idea of "a picture is worth a thousand words." For example, you can see happiness, contentment and peace....or even sadness or depression beneath a smile just through somebody's eyes. The possibility of being the person that is able to capture such depth and emotion and even show it to the rest of the world is what most excites me about this class.
Even though I have looked at photography as more of a casual hobby (capturing drunken college memories to tell the grandkids or being a tourist with a thousand pictures of the Eiffel Tower), I definitely have a desire to take more advanced pictures using more advanced techniques. Admittedly, I am more of the disposable/easy digital camera person who occasionally dabbles with more "cutting - edge" techniques like taking out red eye and using a flash... appropriately. I definitely expect to learn more about the geometry and physics behind taking pictures and maybe even get the chance to call myself a true artist.
Aside from learning the basics about the function of a camera, I definitely want to gain more confidence in myself in the realm of art. Even though I have always loved drawing, painting and taking pictures, I never had the guts to actually become an art major or go to design school. I want to be able to respect and like my own work. Moreover, I want to get away from what is commonplace and familiar and delve deeper to find my own sense of creativity, set of ideas and be able to define beauty myself.

So, I leave you with this quote that I thought was pretty cool from diva Tina Turner: "Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything...whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it...because you'll find that when you're free, youre true creativity, your true self comes out."