Welcome to my final update on my photography journey this semester. However, my newfound hobby will not be ending here. I am going to continue to post to my photography Instagram account, so feel free to give me a follow if you would like to see more!
https://www.instagram.com/landscapesofjoy/
This learning project really challenged me in ways I was not expecting. I started out with the broad idea of taking landscape photos, to realizing I really only like sunset photos. This then proved to be very difficult to do, because sunset happens at a very specific time and happens quite quickly. I finally managed to talk my husband into videoing my ‘process’ (click the video below to get a snapshot).
Here is how it went for me most nights:
- FIRST I would sit on my couch in the evening, watching the sky from my window, checking the sunset time on my phone
- IF I saw the sky turning nice colors I would run to grab my gear, jump in my car, and drive as fast as legally possible to Douglas park hill
- THEN I would run up the hill (if the gates were locked, which was every time except for when we shot this video *luckily*), swatting a million mosquitoes
- AFTER finding the perfect spot I would begin to get my Manual setting set up just right to capture the photo (these settings were changed constantly as the light shifted throughout the sunset)
- FINALLY, after taking at least 30 photos, and the sun had set, I would drive home, sift through them all, and choose my favorites
Needless to say, my husband HATED this part of my learning project. But now that I am in the habit of chasing the sunset, I hate to miss one. It really is one of the most beautiful, unexpected, parts of the day. Each night brings new colors, new obstacles, and new beams of light. Here is one of my favorite shots from my latest sunset chase.
Measuring my Progress
| How it Started | How it’s Going | Where it’s Going |
| – Just a girl & a camera | – Still a girl & a camera – An Instagram Account to connect & create – A Feedly Channel to find content –Twitter Photography Accounts – Pinterest Inspiration – Youtube Channels to follow – Photography Blogs and websites to learn from | – Girl & Camera – Online content to consume – Online space to create – Share a photo to Creative Commons *slightly terrified to do this but also excited!* – Take some in-person photography classes |
Learning Online: Pros/Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| – Resources at my fingertips – Influences from around the world – Space to share and create with a wider audience – Endless information for whatever you need – Free | – Isolating – Endless scrolling – Tough to ‘weed’ out the good from the bad resources – Increased personal screen-time |
Overall, I found learning online to be very ‘user-friendly’. However, I sometimes struggled to get personalized information. I would be outside, taking photos, and realize that I needed an opinion on how to emphasize certain angles or light features. But I had no one to ask. So I would look it up on my phone or trial and error it. But it was hard to find specific-in-the-moment answers. I think to continue my journey I would love to take an in-person photography class to balance out my learning experience. I see the benefits of learning a new skill online, but I also think I learn best through a combination of online and in-person. I have learned so much in these last 7 weeks through online resources and I am so grateful that this project re-inspired me to try photography again. I can honestly say that this is a skill I will continue to build upon and learn about both online and hopefully in person!
In conclusion, if you would like to learn more about the specific digital tools I used along my journey, feel free to scroll through my other posts. And don’t forget to give me a follow if you would like to continue with me on my photography journey!