Three years ago last summer I embarked on what would turn out to be the most memorable and challenging point in my life. Three years ago I became a teacher. Bags packed, car full, Oklahoma bound. Trained in New York at PS 335 Granville T. Woods in Brooklyn I was in unchartered territory. I told myself that no matter what I would do my best to document my experience. I only documented the first week and the last few days. Those five weeks are indescribable, little footage in the classroom but what I can say is that I made it through. Of all the stresses, long nights, early mornings, and encouragement from fellow corps members, friends and family, I made the best out of it and in the end it was all worth it. There was one thing that allowed me to truly release and reflect - my camera.
I used to take random pictures of outings, nothing special, candids mostly, and post them on facebook and myspace. I think the first camera I was ever given to have was freshman year at the University of Colorado during winter break. I wore that joint out! While in New York the summer of 2009 we were told to use our weekends, get out and explore. Forget exploring, I hated where I was. Teaching was hard, the kids were difficult, those who knew me best were back home... I turned to the lens. This time things were different. I treated my Sony Cybershot in such a way that I told myself if I'm to use this medium then I have to shoot with a purpose. That is exactly what I did, at least what I attempted to do.
July 4th. I remember that weekend vividly. Some of the corps members and I planned a day trip into the city. Walked to the corner store called P&M Convenience and snagged a metro card and hopped onto the bus. I found a photo that is first of many attempts to highlight New York in a way that captured its essence, heart beat, sound, culture, look and feel. Looking back I don't think it was too shabby, it say "New York" or I suppose more directly, "Subway" but you get the point. Since then, I took my time with what I shot, and how I shot it. A budding photographer, self made.
I used to take random pictures of outings, nothing special, candids mostly, and post them on facebook and myspace. I think the first camera I was ever given to have was freshman year at the University of Colorado during winter break. I wore that joint out! While in New York the summer of 2009 we were told to use our weekends, get out and explore. Forget exploring, I hated where I was. Teaching was hard, the kids were difficult, those who knew me best were back home... I turned to the lens. This time things were different. I treated my Sony Cybershot in such a way that I told myself if I'm to use this medium then I have to shoot with a purpose. That is exactly what I did, at least what I attempted to do.
July 4th. I remember that weekend vividly. Some of the corps members and I planned a day trip into the city. Walked to the corner store called P&M Convenience and snagged a metro card and hopped onto the bus. I found a photo that is first of many attempts to highlight New York in a way that captured its essence, heart beat, sound, culture, look and feel. Looking back I don't think it was too shabby, it say "New York" or I suppose more directly, "Subway" but you get the point. Since then, I took my time with what I shot, and how I shot it. A budding photographer, self made.
Street signs, stores, subway stations, corners, people, statues, it didn't matter...everything was fair game. I was a photojournalist on duty, making sure that when I shared these pictures, each one told a story that was part of the whole. We made it to the Brooklyn bridge that night, aimlessly searching for New York night life. I found it at the edge of the bridge looking down at cars zooming down below. The bridge was packed with so many people. The cool thing about NY is that you can find all types of folk. The fireworks started from afar and I was in awe. The lights, the sounds, the cheers, the scent in the air was provokative. I did my amateur best to get some good shots. Wandered into Little Italy later that night. I recollect on that day because I can honestly say that through teaching, I found a spark that jump started something that may have been downplayed if I decided to do something different.
I turned 22 a few days later. First time away from home, first birthday spent without my twin brother, and first time I felt okay being where I was at that particular moment. Ironically my sister turns 22 today. Tonight I couldn't sleep - that's not unique - yet I was moved to write. Typically when I can't sleep I try to write something to settle my mind or get the creative juices flowing before I lose the brilliant idea that I had. Brilliant to me. In the past three years I haven't written more personal notes, poems, memoirs, whatever you want to call them and it all seems to be a blur. One thing remained constant - my love for photography grew. In the Spring of 2010 I purchased my first "real" DSLR camera. I told myself, "self" (yes) (insert laugh, yes I talked to myself) I said, "self" (yes) "if you consider yourself a photographer, and you love to take pictures, you need to equip yourself!" I cashed in my savings bond that my grandfather gave me after graduation, luckily it had matured a year by then. On the night of May 19th I toughed the Tulsa weather (which by the way was pretty bad, tornado warnings, the gambit) and hit Best Buy, bought a NIKON D3000 and brought it back to my little 2 bedroom apartment off of Peoria Avenue. I erased the first three photos I took but I am sure they were terrible! The rain had stopped and I took the camera for a test run. I was hooked. A real photographer I was, you couldn't tell me nothing! I took 65 photos. Clearly had no idea what I was doing. But that didn't matter, I was ready to learn, ready to shoot, ready for this photographers journey.
Without a doubt the camera was foreign so I went to Barnes and Noble at Southroads Shopping Center off of 41st Street. I was sick of taking terrible photos and didn't want to be taking AUTO shots all the time. "The Photography Bible" by Daniel Lazano, after almost an hour of figuring out which book to buy was the best choice. I took notes, learned some basics, trial and error is the essence of this medium. The perfect shot never happens on the first frame, but perhaps the second or third. I am in my third frame and hopefully I have improved. I think I have improved, sharpened my craft and captured great moments. I say all that to drill down to one basic message: find that spark to push your passion.
My spark happened to be out of stress from the classroom. I owe a lot to teaching. I love my students and they hold a special place in my heart, I would never take anything away from that. Looking back, which we all must do, has shown me that through photography and media I sometimes need to step away from the camera and live the frame rather than capture the frame. There have been many times where I want to stop my car, or shoot while driving, to take a picture of the Denver skyline, or that one spot that catches my eye. I will have time for all that. For now, I carry many photos on my internal harddrive and I look forward to stashing them on the external very soon.
My spark happened to be out of stress from the classroom. I owe a lot to teaching. I love my students and they hold a special place in my heart, I would never take anything away from that. Looking back, which we all must do, has shown me that through photography and media I sometimes need to step away from the camera and live the frame rather than capture the frame. There have been many times where I want to stop my car, or shoot while driving, to take a picture of the Denver skyline, or that one spot that catches my eye. I will have time for all that. For now, I carry many photos on my internal harddrive and I look forward to stashing them on the external very soon.