Celebrating My Birthday and My First 10 Years As a Photographer: Part 1

Although I do not know the exact date of when I took my first photograph, I do however recognize this photo above as the moment I began my personal relationship with photography. As I turn 26-years-old today, I realize that I have been photographing my life’s journey for the past 10 years. While not much in comparison to other photographers I have encounter and read about, it is nevertheless a milestone worthy of examination and reflection of the work I’ve accomplished, the projects that I’m currently undertaking, and the challenges that lie ahead for the next decade of my photographic life.

A Look Back

So far I’ve created 60,000 photos (give or take a few thousand). That’s 60,000 different perspectives I’ve witness and developed at 60,000 different points in time, most of which are stored on several hard drives between two computers (my film negatives are held in folders, one of which I’m still trying to find). Famous photographer Henri-Cartier Bresson would say, “Your first 10,000 photographs are you’re worse.” And in this digital age, that number could easily be multiplied by ten. However, the number of how many images taken isn’t as important as the memories they contain and the people they’ve affected. Below are images that some have already seen, some may have forgotten, most aren’t technically good, but nonetheless, are rememberable to me.

Many of the photographs I’ve taken thus far are of ceremonies, marches, and events relevant to my journalism career. Yet it is these, and many, many other photos like these that keep putting a smile on my face. Yes, I could worry about technical calibration, the lighting, the focus, all the concepts that make a good photograph, but at the end of it all it’s about persevering worthwhile memories. That’s what makes photography such a powerful medium that I am glad I subscribe to.

While I originally planned for this special post to be longer, I decided to go for a more short and sweet sentimental post. The only thing I regret is not having to time comb through all the photos and not having enough photos of my friends when I was in high school (for I didn’t have a camera most of the time then).

In my next article, I will talk a bit about the projects that I working on now and how I am trying to catalog my work for presentation as a part of a three part post on my past, present, and future.

And to the gamer fans out there, in the words of Samus Aran, “What’s past, is prologue.”
Edit: I am also running a short contest on my Facebook Page. For one week (now until to October 13th), anyone who posts a favorable comment under the “[Contest]” post on the page with their profile image taken by me, and Likes the page, will be eligible for a lifetime (one use) 15% discount on any photographic service that I would offer from now and into the future. I will be taking screen captures of the posts as they accumulate.