The Joy of Photography: My Journey and Why You Should Give It a Shot

There’s something magical about capturing life in a single frame. For me, photography isn’t just about taking pictures—it’s about preserving moments that would otherwise be lost to time. I’ve been behind the camera since I was around 18, shortly after becoming a young parent. It started with my pocket digital camera, snapping shots of my daughter and coming up with creative ways to capture her. I’d share these pictures, and people started asking, “Who took these?” When they realized it was me, they told me I should get paid for my work because the shots were that good. Those words lit a spark in me that’s never gone out.

As my journey continued, I realized that what I loved most was capturing life’s most precious, fleeting moments. Those split seconds of raw, honest emotion that you can freeze forever. There’s a rush that comes with it, and I still feel it every time I’m behind the lens. Photography lets you be a part of someone’s story, even if just for a moment, and preserve it in a way that words never could. It’s truly all about those little slices of life—fast, sporadic, and meaningful.

Of course, it hasn’t always been easy. Like many starting out, I struggled with the quality of my equipment and constantly compared my work to others’. It’s easy to feel like you need the best gear, but what I’ve come to learn is that equipment isn’t everything. Your eye, your vision—these are what make your art unique. You could have the most basic setup and create images that captivate, or have top-of-the-line gear and produce something lackluster. In the end, you are the art, not the camera.

What keeps me coming back is the idea that the camera is like an extension of my own eyes. We all see things that catch our attention, but what if, instead of blinking and missing them, that blink was a shutter capturing the moment forever? We look to the past in history books, but the pictures are what stay with us. I believe every shot is a way to preserve these precious moments, and it’s something I’ll always be passionate about.

If you’re interested in photography, I have one piece of advice: get started now. Your first 5,000 pictures will likely be your worst, so reach that milestone as quickly as possible and keep going. Capture what you love in the way you love it, and don’t forget to learn the exposure triangle. It’s essential, but beyond that, remember that it’s not about the camera; it’s about the person behind it. Photography is a journey, and I encourage anyone with even a spark of curiosity to grab a camera and give it a shot. The joy of freezing time, capturing stories, and creating art awaits you.