*click here for part 1–Paradigm Shift*

My interest in photography goes back to high school when I got my first SLR camera. I carried that thing everywhere! I felt so cool when I could zoom in and out and had buttons I could play with. I tried a lot of creative things, like attempting to take shots of the moon, a candle surrounded by darkness, or close-ups of flowers. And you can imagine my frustration when I got the roll of film developed and the photos were totally blurry or unfocused. “This isn’t what I pictured in my head!” I didn’t know much about light, technique, or how a camera worked, but there was still something I loved, something that drove me to keep going…something about creating.

At the time, I also loved writing and enjoyed nature, so I put the three together and had this far-off, wild dream of becoming a photojournalist for National Geographic. But, eventually, I questioned myself and my intentions. I had such a passion and desire to truly help people and make a difference in this world. My assumptions about becoming a photographer were that it was something I would do simply because I enjoyed doing it, which seemed selfish to me. I remember thinking to myself, “How could I become a photographer when there are so many people in the world hurting and suffering?” How could I do something that wasn’t serving and helping? So, I chose a different path to walk down.

*click here for part 3 (Building a New Paradigm), part 4 (Not What, But Who), and part 5 (Inspired)*

Tags: paradigm, Photography