I started my photography career in 2018. I was in the 8th grade and I had found my parents old camera. It was an old Cannon rebel that wasn't in the best shape but it did the job. I had no idea what the different settings were. I shot on automatic always and while not all the photos looked great, I had fun. I took photos of everything I could find. My pet rabbits, my backyard, horses at the barn I rode at, and occasionally my friends.
A couple years later during the heat of COVID-19 quarantine, I decided to go deep with my photography knowledge. I started looking to Youtube for photography tutorials. I learned about aperture, exposure, shutter speed, and slowly developed my own style. In my junior year of college, I bought my first big girl camera, a Canon Mark iii 5D with a 70-200mm lens. My style continued to develop with my new camera and I began offering my services to others. During this time, I also learned to edit with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. It was a slow process to understand what each component did but I was now able to create the art I wanted.
Continuing through high school, I took my camera to local horse shows. This is where I mastered the art of a fast shutter speed. Horses move fast so I kept my shutter speed at around 1/2000 depending on the day. Timing was also crucial to get the shot you want. The best are when the horse is right over the jump with their legs square. That moment lasts for a fraction of a second. It took me hundreds of photos before I got the time correct. I met a lot of people through this though. Other local photographers and general horse people began to recognize me. Of course this population was small but it felt like a community.
While doing sport photography I branched back into nature photography. I would go on nature walks and take photos of everything. Many times deer would walk into my path so I have gotten skilled at finding them. Going on these walks was where I learned the most about framing. Framing your picture can tell the story you want to convey. I often looked for branches or trees to help focus on the subject I want. Lighting has also played a huge role in developing my style. In my of my portraits, I often add a warm glow coming down on the subject to mimic light. Many times the light was already there and I enhanced it.
When I went off to college I continued my sport photography as well as learned pet portrait photography. I was on the D1 Equestrian team at Delaware State university for my first two years of college. I was the main photographer at meets and events. I took photos of practically everything, to teammates riding during meet to the girls cheering on the sidelines.
Many of these girls had pets of their own so I began taking portraits of them. I did black background portraits of horses as well as dogs playing outside. Black background taught me the most about editing in photoshop. Replacing most of the background with black while still keeping the fine details is an art in itself. Animals have A LOT of hair. You can't cut the hair around them in a straight line or else it will look like a sticker. I made custom brushes to make sure I keep the natural hair while still putting black into the background. Capturing the personality of the animal is the most rewarding. You can always tell who loves the camera, they perk up and in a way pose. Seeing the owner's reaction is fulfilling also. Their pet is always #1 in their hearts.
Currently, I have slowed down on taking pictures. I am busy with school and other projects but I still bring out the camera when needed. I take senior portraits in the spring and often use my photos as gifts to friends. This journey has let me dig deeper into my creative side while teaching me skills that I can take anywhere. I might drift away from photography, but it will always be with me.
