"I’ve still never taken a photography class of any kind or read a book about how to take decent photographs."
At this point you should probably avoid both of those things, they might mess with your approach too much. You don't need someone else to teach you how to take great photographs.
You really do have the eye for beauty and form. Thank you for sharing it along with your intellect, as well as your heart.
As for Morocco, please do not rule this out traveling as a woman. I have a couple good friends who have not only traveled solo extensively, but lived in Morocco and Tunisia (working as lawyers), and did not even limit themselves to Marrakesh and Algiers. If you ever wanted to chat with one let me know. I am sure they would be happy to share their experiences.
I think I'll wait for the right traveling companion. I got harassed pretty relentlessly traveling alone in Istanbul, which is not supposed to be nearly as bad as Morocco, despite dressing very modestly and trying to keep to myself. I'm glad I went but it wasn't fun.
I am sorry that you experienced this, Sarah. Finding a companion makes sense. I do hope you go, and the offer of the connections remains open if ever you want this, too.
Thank you so much for answering my question! I knew you would have an interesting backstory. And thank you so much for sharing more of your pictures. I really enjoy looking at them.
Thank you for posting some of your early photos. They look like my current photos and it is encouraging me to take my camera out with me more. I am much older than you but have dabbled in photography since childhood. I just always come back to it.
Sarah, I believe nature photography could also be a part of the therapy for youth experiencing cross-sex ideation. Along with gardening, daily walking (I love the Leki sticks), eating well and getting enough sleep. All of this takes them away from the internet, creating time and space for true reflection, mind/body connections and a calmer neutral state.
I took my first (and only) photography class a couple of years ago because while I am a fanatic about taking photos of skies and water I was frustrated by some of the results. I bought a SLR camera, learned words like "aperture," but then discovered that most of the work was not in the camera (mine was too limited) but in the editing software. I learned a little bit about how to edit photos, but I was kind of repelled. The editing took something away from the photo--mediating reality more than I wanted. Refusing to edit while using a digital device that makes all sorts of decisions for me is kind of silly, but that's where I landed.
So I'm back to taking photos of clouds on my phone.
So here's the part where I feel like I'm asking a magician to reveal her tricks, but I'm curious to know if you crop a lot of your photos. I'd say the most interesting and mysterious of your photos are the ones that look like they've been cut out of a larger photo to draw attention to some minor detail or obscure a larger one.
I would really only crop it later if that’s the way I saw it at the time but I couldn’t get close enough, since I don’t have a powerful zoom lens. I don’t tend to do much zooming or repositioning. I’m not the 50 shots person. I see something when I’m walking and know where I need to be.
Was the cloud picture in a museum at the end by Byron Kim? I taught his daughter. He was a big fan of the Pre-K art projects I invented, like painting with marbles.
"I’ve still never taken a photography class of any kind or read a book about how to take decent photographs."
At this point you should probably avoid both of those things, they might mess with your approach too much. You don't need someone else to teach you how to take great photographs.
You really do have the eye for beauty and form. Thank you for sharing it along with your intellect, as well as your heart.
As for Morocco, please do not rule this out traveling as a woman. I have a couple good friends who have not only traveled solo extensively, but lived in Morocco and Tunisia (working as lawyers), and did not even limit themselves to Marrakesh and Algiers. If you ever wanted to chat with one let me know. I am sure they would be happy to share their experiences.
I think I'll wait for the right traveling companion. I got harassed pretty relentlessly traveling alone in Istanbul, which is not supposed to be nearly as bad as Morocco, despite dressing very modestly and trying to keep to myself. I'm glad I went but it wasn't fun.
I am sorry that you experienced this, Sarah. Finding a companion makes sense. I do hope you go, and the offer of the connections remains open if ever you want this, too.
Thank you so much for answering my question! I knew you would have an interesting backstory. And thank you so much for sharing more of your pictures. I really enjoy looking at them.
Thank you for posting some of your early photos. They look like my current photos and it is encouraging me to take my camera out with me more. I am much older than you but have dabbled in photography since childhood. I just always come back to it.
Wonderful backstory and photos! You are really gifted in so many ways! The Lake Michigan photo is soothing to me, who grew up on a Great Lake.
I love being by the lake! I hope you still have a great body of water nearby.
Sadly no- but I have 2 nearby rivers whom I have befriended.
You have a superbly trained eye the photo of you at the Sutro Baths is just beautiful! Texture and colors in that photo caught my attention!
Sarah, I believe nature photography could also be a part of the therapy for youth experiencing cross-sex ideation. Along with gardening, daily walking (I love the Leki sticks), eating well and getting enough sleep. All of this takes them away from the internet, creating time and space for true reflection, mind/body connections and a calmer neutral state.
I took my first (and only) photography class a couple of years ago because while I am a fanatic about taking photos of skies and water I was frustrated by some of the results. I bought a SLR camera, learned words like "aperture," but then discovered that most of the work was not in the camera (mine was too limited) but in the editing software. I learned a little bit about how to edit photos, but I was kind of repelled. The editing took something away from the photo--mediating reality more than I wanted. Refusing to edit while using a digital device that makes all sorts of decisions for me is kind of silly, but that's where I landed.
So I'm back to taking photos of clouds on my phone.
Beautiful! I always enjoy your posts not only for their content but also for the beautiful art and photos. I look forward to both in my inbox.
So here's the part where I feel like I'm asking a magician to reveal her tricks, but I'm curious to know if you crop a lot of your photos. I'd say the most interesting and mysterious of your photos are the ones that look like they've been cut out of a larger photo to draw attention to some minor detail or obscure a larger one.
I do almost all of my framing when I'm shooting. Very very rarely do I crop images later on.
Whoa, that's what I was leaning towards and it makes your photos even more impressive! They're all "as taken."
Do you use zoom much or do you reposition yourself and fiddle with the focus?
I would really only crop it later if that’s the way I saw it at the time but I couldn’t get close enough, since I don’t have a powerful zoom lens. I don’t tend to do much zooming or repositioning. I’m not the 50 shots person. I see something when I’m walking and know where I need to be.
Was the cloud picture in a museum at the end by Byron Kim? I taught his daughter. He was a big fan of the Pre-K art projects I invented, like painting with marbles.
Georgia O’Keeffe!
Thanks! A fellow Wisconsinite.