N-G-P-W-B....

Have I mentioned yet today, how much I wish I was a photographer? You know… the full-fledged, published, make-a-living-selling-my-photographs type photographer. Yes, it is pretty much all I obsess about lately. Ever since I bought myself a digital SLR camera a year and a half ago, I think mostly about taking pictures. I am so infatuated with photography that I’ve joined a club and am signing up for workshops left and right. I’m also reading whatever I can get my hands on to learn about the technical side of things (including – it’s true – my camera’s user manual!) And, if I can’t be out actually snapping photos, then I am flipping through magazines or surfing the web, scrutinizing the work of others and dreaming about when it might be my turn to appear in the pages of Outdoor Photographer.
I’m sure I am driving my significant other completely crazy – every outing we enjoy together inevitably disintegrates (for him, anyway) into a long, drawn out process… where he slows his pace to a crawl while I doddle around, adjusting settings, adding filters, climbing over and under things, trying to get to just the right angle for that perfect shot. So far, I’ve managed to capture over ten thousand images; fewer than two dozen of them have drawn attention from the likes of small-town weekly publications and informal local contests – but it’s somehow enough to keep my aspirations afloat.
In reality I understand that I won’t be changing careers any time soon… although I can always hope, can’t I? Because who knows when I might all of a sudden get the hang of it, and begin to consistently churn out absolutely stellar pix? Until then, I will read and practice and stumble around the countryside, trading opinions and information with my newfound camera-buff friends, enjoying my hobby for what it is - an excuse to buy gear!! YAAAYY for camera gear!! (heh heh) And, hopefully you'll get some sort of a kick out of reading about my photographic (mis)adventures! Of course I always welcome comments and suggestions from amateurs and professionals alike... Although photography is a seriously subjective art, I am continuously intrigued by how other people see and capture the world in their pics; I myself could look at photos all day long.

I take pictures because it makes me happy and feel completely free... I cherish my camera and if I happen to freeze a moment that makes even one other person go "Wow, nice shot!"... well, that's about as good as I imagine it could get!

Enjoy!

ps: In case you're wondering about the title of this post... "N"ational "G"eographic "P"hotographer "W"anna-"B"e... yep, that's me...!!!