Been there. Snapped that.

How many people can say they have a collection of cameras of about forty and counting? I often receive gasps and questions as to how an obsession can go that far. Yet, cameras and photography have always filled my life. It has become something that inspires and pushes me. Among the cameras which adorn my walls and bookshelf are Ansel Adams posters which I saved from thrift store trash cans. From there you can find my mother's prints, alongside their respective ribbons from the San Diego County Fair. Some have even detected the camera which I permanently tattooed onto my wrist; my favorite camera within my collection. Like previously stated, photography is ever present in my life.

My photography journey truly started when I received my first DSLR #canonrebelt3i camera at the age of thirteen. Around this time #instagram was also emerging. The newfound social media platform gave way to a new age of photography in which anyone with an imagination and a camera could instantly become a photographer. It would take me seven years to finally refuse to use automatic settings and quality editing software, yet I believe during this time I was the most creative I have ever been. Instagram created communities in which "Instagram photography fads" were established.

These "fads" were categorized into #hashtags and competitions, allowing creators to share their content. In the early days of Instagram, it was almost easy to grow a large following and therefore my account @ov3rthe3dge (no longer in existence) grew dramatically. Sometimes I wonder how I could have gone on to grow from 3k if I had kept my original account and developed along with it.

I eventually took a hiatus from photography, taking pictures and posting them on #facebook for my own archive. In high school I became overwhelmed with classes and organizations I was in which took up most of my time. By taking choir and spanish as electives, I was unable to take photography (which I still regret). On a cruise to the British Isles with my family I rediscovered my passion and gained inspiration. I found an appreciation for landscape and travel photography, in which I was forced to explore new angles as to not capture a "typical" photograph of the particular building or area. As social media grew, so did its compilation of photographs. I was able to search any location on a map and view thousands of ways that it was photographed. In one click I was able to adjust how I saw an object or space within my viewfinder and achieve the best possible shot. In addition, platforms such as #pinterest have made tips and photography lessons easy and accessible.

I am one of the few generations that spent my formative years without social media and much of the technology we now have, but essentially grew along with it. Social as a whole has shaped my relationship with photography and how my style and knowledge have developed. With classes through YouTube, I slowly but surely began to perfect my eye when taking photos. Playing with light and slowly figuring out manual features, I created content that I was incredibly proud of.

At this point in late high school, I was still mainly using a kit lens and automatic settings. While I was experimenting, it wasn't enough to make me feel like I was truly a photographer. Although many of my friends and family raved about my "talent", I still didn't feel as though I had content that made me worthy of the word. My freshman year of college, my best friend got engaged to her high school sweetheart and hired me to take their engagement photos. This was the first time I was paid to take photos, as well as, the first time I had to pose individuals.

This experience truly set off my passion for photography. By someone I admired taking pride in my work I was given a new sense of pride for my content. Although I still had a long way to go, it was a start in a career I wanted to pursue. From there I started my freelance photography business and Instagram account, @a.l.m_photography. The creation of my account allowed to me to express and share my growth. A year ago I finally decided to let go of my doubts and forced myself to learn manual. Although this does not seem like too big of a feat, I admitted to myself that I could become a better, self-taught photographer. I also caved into purchasing Adobe Lightroom editing software. Since my forced revival, I believe I have grown immensely as a photographer. Never truly understanding the power of editing, I have now been able to bring what I see in my lens to life.

My photography journey is never ending, but it has led me to many opportunities including being apart of some of the happiest moments in the lives of friends and a creating a visual collection of my time abroad. Please come along with me as my journey continues by following my Instagram account and taking a look at my website!

#photography #freelancephotographer #photographyblog #blog #myphotographyjourney