Spring Break was Refreshing!

Wow! I needed some time off. Spring break came at a great time for me since I found myself burning the candle at both ends. In my last photo class before spring break, our professor displayed several photos from previous student's portfolios. These photos were representative of "A" quality work. I was rather impressed by some of the photos, particularly because most of the students had little or no prior experience in photography. I was left wondering how I was ever going to produce photos that would measure up.

My new found passion for photography has driven me to have very high expectations of myself. Particularly considering I am a newcomer to photography and art. Until jumping in with both feet this semester, the last time I was exposed to art to any degree was on a school field trip in fifth grade. Nonetheless I had made my mind up early on that anything less than earning an "A" in my first photography class would be viewed as a major disappointment.

All of our course assignments, up to the mid term of the semester, had been designed to teach us basics such as lighting, aperture and shutter speed; and their relationships to achieving a desired effect in photographs. While I could see myself growing in regard to technical or mechanical aspects of photography, I was chafing at the bit to begin work on the artistic or creative aspects of subject matter as well as shot composition. I was dying to figure out if I had the requisite creativity to produce decent photographs.

While I am not the type to fall in love with my own work, some of the shots that I was able to capture over spring break were impressive--particularly when I consider that I came into class with virtually no working knowledge of photography whatsoever.

In shooting just two rolls of film, I captured some images that meet the standard of photographs such as those shown to us from previous student portfolios. I was able to capture several shots I can use for my final portfolio for class! Due to the fact that we need to produce two shots for our portfolio per week for the rest of the semester, having a surplus will help to eliminate some of the pressure that I surely would have put upon myself throughout the remainder of the semester. These shots have upped the ante regarding the quality of work I will expect of myself as I continue to improve my photography skills over the course of the semester. As I make improvements in my photography skills, I can pick and choose to replace photos from the pool of photos that already meet the standards required to earn an "A" on my portfolio.

Keeping things in perspective, I certainly have not become Ansel Adams overnight. Small successes have been helpful in building the confidence I needed in order to realize that pursuing my interest in photography is not a mistake, nor wasted energy for which I will never be rewarded for my hard work and dedication. Discovering whether or not I have potential to be a good photographer has been of considerable concern to me since the graduate program I have been accepted to has an option for concentrating on visual communications with a strong emphasis on photography course work.