What About Me?

You might be asking yourself what kind of title is that. For me "What About Me?" is the question I ask myself daily.

Who am I?

What am I?

What are my objectives?

What are my goals?

What defines me as a photographer?

What makes my work my work?

When I started into photography back in 1980 these were not questions I asked myself. In fact all that I considered was getting something on film. Through the years and all of the countless DREAMS, I've come to realize "Who I am!", "What I am?" and so on.

Answering these questions helps us to form a direction........to form a Brand......a Style.....and a Path to becoming what we want to be.

After all what motivates you to get up and grab your camera to endure the "HEAT", the "COLD", the "RAIN" and lastly the "FAILURES" and "SUCCESSES."

Notice I didn't say successes and failures. If I've learned anything about photography....especially Wildlife Photography my Failures always out number my successes. I take risks. I push the envelope. I challenge both myself and my subject to create not an ordinary image but rather an image that embraces the subject that I shoot.

I don't strive for a snapshot. I don't strive for a record of the subject. I want my work to reflect the very nature and attributes of the subject I shoot.

Merely recording a subject means little work in the grand scheme of things. Ansel Adams didn't become who he became by merely pointing and shooting. He studied every aspect of the photographic realm. He noted the light, the texture, the tone, the contrast, the direction of light.

He also learned his equipment and strove to create strict tolerances which led to perfection of the craft.

As a photographer I challenge you to study this craft. Understand things like I just mentioned. But also learn about terms such as Lens Speed, Equivalent Exposure, Depth of Filed, Scene Brightness Range. Become a craftsman. Become a THINKER!