A Beginner Reflection - Last 6 Months

[TheBigE]

All,

I just posted my Photos on the The End Is Nigh - let's see your best 6 from 2014 Thread. It was good for me to go back through and look to see where I have come over the last 6 months after purchasing my DSLR in July 2014. It was a bit of a reflective moment as we near the end the year. For me some of the highlights are

1. Online courses for me have been immensly helpful. You can see greater detail in my post - Just Completed Online Photography Course - My Thoughts. I took two course this year - Understanding Exposure and Lightroom for Everyone both from PPSOP (now named BPSOP) Both course were great and very different in the teaching and presentation style. However, I would have to give a slight nod to the UE course by Bryan Peterson as it had Assigments (where the LR course did not) and these forced me to go out and take photos. This helped really reinforce the topics. The LR course provides some excellent resources and is more of a learn at your own pace, as one has access to the instructor and information for 1 year after the course.

2. Shot, review, critique, and repeat. Simple enough for me, and has really given me a great understand of my current equipment. Other than the camera, I have only purchased a tripod and one extra lens (35mm prime f/1.8) and I really have not jumped on a great deal of equipment unless the process above necessitated buying new equipment. I try to take some notes and thought each time I do the review and critique, this helps me quantify my thoughts and improve. This is largely an internal process at the moment.

3. There is a difference between pictures and photos. Of the 1000 or so photos that remain in my library since July (I have been very aggressive at culling photos) I would say that maybe 5-10 of them are photos. Granted this is a subjective opinion on my part, but I think that just the nature of the hobby. I find that I am unable to take photos unless I am solo and can truly focus. If I go solo and walk around, with only focusing on my camera and the image I find that I am able to produce photos. I am sure over time some of this will become more ingrained and intuitive.

I am not much on making New Years Resolution, just seems to me that one can make a resolution any time of the year. Why wait for New Years, but then I am digressing. Going forward, I would like to post most photos here on CiC and link to my SmugMug Gallery. I am hoping that the critique process above can be more than internal and have some external input as well on the topic. I think this can only help, and this is one reason I posted in the above thread.

I have a few major family trips in 2015 and hope to spend an hour or two trying to capture a Photo, and it will be interesting to see the result that 2015 brings.

Anyways, I wish everyone a Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you on the boards in 2015.

All the best
Erik

[wilgk]

Interesting to read Erik, thanks for sharing this aspect of the photographic journey for you so far.
I am sure we all learn from each other and doing so here in this supportive environment has been good for me over the past years. I hope it will be so into the future as well.
Best wishes for 2015 to you.

[Shadowman]

Erik,

Happy holidays and Happy New Year. Good luck on your photographic adventures.