Framing

Photography is an art that I have always admired from afar. To me, the photographer is the imagist of the art world, seeking to distill the universe around us in single images. I've always enjoyed taking photos -- since I was a skipping kindergartner, I've domineered the family camera on every trip, taking artsy-fartsy photos of flowers, people, food, etc. When I was nine, I broke our camera following my brother's first-ever photo smile. "Mom, he smiled for the camera! Look!" I pointed eagerly at the flickering digital display. The camera tumbled down the stairs, and my camera privileges tumbled along with it.  And so my childhood fascination with images seemingly ended.

My interest was piqued once more during a Computer Literacy course I took subbie year (8th grade in my high school)  -- we were allowed to run amok with cameras for a class period, which resulted in some goofy (and some exciting pictures). I took a picture of the school tilted at an angle, and I remember our teacher put it up on the official slideshow of pictures on the main school website. I dug through my old school files and managed to drag up some of the photos I took that day (9/16/2010 -- a long time ago)

The old alma mater (can you say that for high schools?)

A pretty tree -- I think this is the one right outside my high school

 

My 8th-grade filter-happy self did apply some effects in Photoshop, but thankfully, the impact was minimal. A few days ago, my family and I went to St. Louis. For the first time in a long time, I was in possession of a camera (a phone camera, but a camera nonetheless). After a long period of remaining cameraless, of framing pictures in my mind's eye and imagining the perfect moment and angle at which to capture a moment, I was free to snap as I pleased. 

An interesting agate in the St. Louis Science Center

One of the wrought-iron wheel-things that adorn the railing of a gazebo in Tower Grove Park. My favorite thing about this photo is how some of the bushes are nestled happily in the top quarter of the wheel.

This is a picture of bread pudding that my mom and I made together a week ago (at home, not in St. Louis). I really liked how the picture came out, so I wanted to put it here. It makes me hungry just looking at it.

 

Last but not least, some lovely turtles and a duck from the pond at the St. Louis Zoo. I love this photo, even though (or maybe because) it  looks like the cover of a "Best Friends Forever" greeting card.

 

Looking at my old photos and the photos I took over the vacation (or in the summer thus far), I don't think my eye has changed much -- except I seem slightly less fascinated with strange camera angles. I think I'm focusing more on the moment I want to capture, rather than how exactly I capture it.

 

Now that I have a phone with a decent-quality camera, I'm excited to take more pictures (and share them)!