D80: Support

I walked around my neighborhood today, looking for something to kick-off my "ice" series. I came across a sheet of ice that had cracked into hundreds of tiny pieces, yet was still intact. I took a closer look to find out why the ice had not fallen into the hole below.

As it turns out, there was an intricate support structure consisting of pine needles, acting as nature's scaffolding.

That got me thinking about our support structures as individuals. How many of you have a support system to catch you if you fall? Does this allow you to take bigger risks? Have you ever shied away from taking a chance on something because you lacked adequate support?

Seven years ago I decided to pursue my photography as something more than just a hobby. During those seven years, I made all kinds of excuses as to why I never sully took "the plunge".

Truth be told, I was afraid of completely putting myself(and my work) out there for everyone to see and judge.

There were maybe 4 or 5 people that supported my work. Everyone else in my life thought I was crazy. They had never looked at my work, they just thought I should get a "regular 9 to 5" with benefits, 401k, etc. Not much has changed in the last 7 years in terms of support from those around me.

I've tried a million times to push photography back into the hobby category. Its kind of like trying to put the genie back in the bottle. When I look at photography, I get that warm fuzzy feeling that most people get with a new love interest. There are days when I spend hours browsing the work of other photographers, completely losing all track of time.

Part of starting this 365 project was to build a new support structure, consisting of people in the photographic world that inspire me. Most of the photographers that give me "support" have no idea who they are. I listen to their podcasts, read their articles, browse their work, etc. That is what gives me the motivation to keep trying.

I am not a phenomenal photographer.
I have not produced any groundbreaking images.
I have yet to define my style.
However, I am learning.
I am evolving.
I am striving to be a better photographer.
I am a photographer.

That's what the last five months have taught me. I am a photographer, and nobody can take that away from me. I may never be the best, and I may never be well-known, but I will always be a photographer.

(I'm going to cut myself off right there. Part II of this story will be tomorrow.)

Manual: Page 102 - Flash Exposure Compensation
I played with this quite a bit during my 1st experiment with HDR. The jury is still out on my HDR skills.

Images:Gabrielle Geiselman
Today I looked at some of Gabrielle's portrait work. She is great at creating drama in her images. Loved 'em.