I just returned home Friday evening after spending the past three months in the St. Louis Metro East area. I encountered many new and exciting experiences that left me wanting to be back home in Fort Worth. It became harder and harder to go to work everyday after finding out that the company that I went to St. Louis for was laying me off. I was glad that I had my camera with me. I don't have the biggest or the best in cameras, but I have a desire, a need to take photos. I have found that even when I have a bad day there is always a camera powered and ready to go see the area around me. For most of the trip I was unable to go any where or do anything with out a group so doing impulse photography was limited to the area that I could travel to under my own power. I was pondering while taking some macro shots with my inexpensive true macro lens (50mm Quantaray) that I was the only person that could ever take this exact photo. What I mean by that is that in this instant at this point on the globe this light will only be mine that is an important thing. For any photographer that thinks that there photos are unimpressive or bad just remember that you are the only person in the world that could have taken that photo. the only bad photo is the one you did not take. toward the end of My time In the area I finally had a controlling interest in the car that was assigned to us. that afforded me the ability to actually do something.
Fourth of July weekend
My friend and co-worker Luis needs to go to the airport! That's great!I grabbed my camera and a tri-pod and loaded them in the car so after I drop him off I can go take photos of the St. Louis fireworks. Armed with my Sony Alpha 350 and 6 lenses to choose from I parked at the arch landing Metro station on the Missouri side of the Mississippi and view the festivities from the steps of the Jefferson Expansion Memorial grounds with what would expect to be 85 thousand of my new friends. I found that after wondering if there was any mid-west hospitality out here I finally found it. I sat down on the arch steps dead center top early to get a good seat. little did I know that there would be nice people that would crowd around and make the lonely experience a little more comfortable. a lady sat behind me. She noticed that I had a camera and she had just gotten a new Canon Powershot SLR. She hesitated asking me for information on how to operate her new tool. I was pleased to help I love photography and cameras and the little information that I knew about her camera was expanded before the end of the lesson. She got what information I had. I told her to experiment with the camera, but when she needed the photos to be good and if she was unsure of the settings to use then leave it on auto. she was appreciative of the info and her her three boys and her husband were good company the rest of the night.
Of all the things that I have done nothing seems to keep my attention like photography. Any one who knows me knows that I have phases that I go through (just ask my wife). This "hobby" might be the on thing that I have done that will be the last thing that I do. I am hooked on this "drug" and it will be a hard hobby to kick. I would like that my hobby will make me money, but that would be only compensation for me having fun. As I sit a my computer writing this I realize that this is the largest collection of words that I have typed since I was in High School thirteen years ago. this must be the passion that my being has been longing for something that makes my mind feel at ease and allows me to relax and focus. This is the beginning. This will be my end.
