photography class

I'm back from a visit to the Pioneer Valley that included time sitting on my butt, yelling at the TV, and marveling at the Madness, as well as time in the company of great friends. It recharged my batteries a little bit--hopefully enough to get me through the next week and a half til Easter break.

Tonight, I started a photography class. I've loved pictures for as long as I can remember. I used to pour over my grandmothers' photo albums, looking at pictures of my parents, aunts, and uncles as kids and young adults. My mom doesn't so much keep pictures in albums, but there were boxes overflowing with pictures of my childhood that I'd rediscover several times a year.

During my senior year in college, I decided to buy myself a good SLR camera as a birthday/graduation present to myself. I shot countless rolls of film on that camera and it traveled with me to Cape Cod, Los Angeles, the Grand Canyon, San Francisco and Ireland. I love holding pictures in my hands, so I didn't rush into the digital age. About 3 years ago, I finally bought myself a digital camera and immediately fell in love. I could shoot endless photos and not worry about the cost of developing the duds. I enjoyed my trusty Olympus, but missed the weight of the SLR, so a year or so ago, I bought my beloved Nikon D40 and took the well-loved blue and yellow guitar strap off of my film SLR and clipped it onto the Nikon.

Before tonight, I'd never taken a photography class...I shoot in auto mode 95% of the time and know that my camera is capable of more than I get out of it. I think this class will be good for me--I know what the buttons on my camera do!

I don't know what it is about taking pictures, but I love it. I love capturing the things and places in my life at a certain moment, and more than that, I love capturing the people I love, just as they are, just as I love them. I want to pass along the history, let my own kids find boxes filled with pictures of me, their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. It's meditative for me too--just me and my camera, looking for the next great shot.