I like photography. In fact, I can't remember a time when I didn't have a camera. One of my earliest memories is playing with a toy Fisher Price camera that said "Say Cheese" when I pressed the button. Soon I graduated to "real" cameras too. I have owned a LOT of cameras - including a cheap 110, my dad's old Brownie, and cheezy plastic 35mm point and shoots. I even took an "actual, real-live photography class" once, in high school, so I have a basic understanding of f/stop and shutter speed. Photography has always been a part of the important events in my life. I was always "the one who would have a camera"... and I still am.
I got my first digital camera in 2000, when Boo was just a toddler. I liked that I could download and look at the pictures right away, and only had to print the ones I liked. Unfortunately the picture quality wasn't great. And somewhere in there I also picked up my first SLR camera (a Nikon FG) with a couple of lenses. I loved the manual controls and enjoyed the results of playing with all the settings. Sometimes things turned out OK... and other times not. It was agony waiting to finish a roll of film, and then waiting for the film to be developed. I wished and hoped that someday I would be able to afford a big, fancy digital SLR camera... but not too hard. I always figured they were just to expensive.
Finally I "adopted" a Nikon D40 - a "prosumer" DSLR. I loved it from day one - the first time I used it was at the sleddin' hill and I captured some incredible "air shots" that I never would have accomplished with a point and shoot. And still I love it. For me it's a "best of both worlds" camera - I can pretend it's a point-and-shoot when I just want to snap a picture. Or when I have the time and the inclination I can flip into manual mode and have some fun.
I was having fun with it at the Ice Crit last week. It was dark, and I decided to open things up and try to get some longer exposures, which resulted in some really interesting photos. I am not "good enough" to claim that I could reproduce the results - this is just fun for me. But apparently someone else thought the photos were pretty good too, because one of them graces the cover of this week's edition of The Source.
Did I ever expect any photo that I took to be published, let alone on a cover of anything? Nope. But it's a really cool feeling to see "my" picture in print, for Bend (if not the world) to see.
Can I hear a "Yay, me!"? :)
10 comments:
I saw that, picked one up this afternoon.
Congrats!
AWESOME! That is too cool. Nice job.
Whee! Looks great - you must sign a copy for me!
Congrats!
Is there a way you can take a picture of me running that will make me look as cool as those bike guys?
Oh, and good job! And I really mean that.
Yay Jen, that's awesome!
Thanks for the great cover image, Jen. We've gotten a lot of good feedback from people in the community who are LOVING it!
Jen, fabulous shot! I was admiring it today as I scanned the Source at lunch, not realizing it was your photo. Way to go!
Waay cool, Jen! We might have to get you to be the band photographer. I mean, you already are, practically. But if we make it official, I will actually buy you a glass of wine!
Yea! That is so cool. I remember back in college I took a photography and we displayed our portfolios in the gallery for everyone to see. A guy actually approached my teacher about BUYING one of my pictures. It was the most amazing compliment. But that is as close as I can get to being published and SUPER COOL like you.
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