Camera Man

Everyone has a particular art form they use to express themselves; for some it’s poetry, for others, it’s music, and other people like writing stories. But me? I take my camera everywhere I go. To car shows, to family gathering, on road trips… hell I bring it with me even when I bike around the city.
To date, I have taken around 50,000 pictures of everything from cars to abandoned buildings to candid shots of everyday human interaction. Not only is the subject important for me, but it’s the thrill of going hunting that really gets me going. I like surprise. I never know what I’m going to shoot, so each day brings new subjects and new ideas for pictures. One day I may be in the mood to go shoot nature objects, some days I focus on cars, and other days I try to get as many building/signs as possible. I like setting out with a particular theme in mind, but at the same time I don’t; I like shooting at the spur of the moment as well; I like to have my subject in place, and focus the camera and wait for that perfect moment with no clutter and just shoot. Sometimes this takes one try; other times it takes four or five. Whatever the case, my 4 gig memory card can handle it.
I am very picky about what I shoot; I love looking beyond the norms. I pick things that are interesting to me. With every subject I shoot, be it a building, pets, people, or cars, I have to be passionate about what I’m shooting. It has to pop out at me. If I’m shooting a building for instance, it has to either be a well executed building with great architecture, not unlike the Basilica in on Hennepin Ave. If I’m shooting people, the person has to have either a funny expression or the moment has to be one of either laughable awkwardness or one of startle. For cars, that’s where it gets crazy. I’m a certified car nut, so I won’t even delve into my qualifications for shooting in that department.
When it comes to distinguishing a crap picture from a good picture, light is the key for me. I absolutely HATE sunlight. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. In fact, I can positively say I loathe it. I love shooting on semi-cloudy to overcast days. Not only does the absence of the sun avoid lens glare and other sun-induced picture-destroyers, it helps bring out a more natural color in whatever I’m planning to shoot. If I’m shooting right after a downpour, I love using macro mode to capture close-ups of object with droplets clearly seen in the picture. No better way to capture detail than with miniscule objects like droplets left from a downpour in the picture.
Contrast also plays a key role in determining a good picture from a crappy one. If I’m going to shoot a building sign, which I love doing, it has to either look cool in a rustic way, or it has to have contrast compared to its surroundings. I also love shooting down alleyways and getting whole scenes in one shot. The idea of framing a subject with two “walls” so to speak is awesome. To me, though, there is no better way to capture a scene than with framing, and having a scene in which alleyways make up the outer borders is awesome.
The satisfaction doesn’t end when I’ve taken the picture, however. When I’m back at home, loading all my pictures from that day’s shootings onto my computer, I get and incredible feeling of joy from looking at shots in which I excelled at capturing what I wanted to; it lets me know I’m doing something right. At the same time if I shoot something and it doesn’t come out right, I feel let down; I want to try again. I do try again.
But most of all, photography is a key part of my personality. It makes up who I am. If you don’t know my name, you will be sure to pick me apart from a crowd because more likely than not, I’ll be the one looking around with a camera at the ready should anything spark my interest.

--first written by me on April 29, 2008