Freedom.

That seems the right word to describe my feelings right now. At least within photography. In other news I have tons of studying to do; my first exam is on Thursday and I feel confident with that one as it is German [my best subject] but I have Maths next week and am also worried about English Language. Anywho, enough boring stuff. Let's talk about freedom. :)

You know, ever since I found photography, I thought I was FREE. I always thought I was following my own artistic expression and I suppose, to an extent, I was. It was just a little stifled. With film, I shot for myself. Nobody else saw the prints...they were just in the family album so I could take as many blurry grainy OOF shots as I wanted and nobody really cared. Then along came digital, which I absolutely adore. I really do. But at the same time it came, for me, with a kind of oppression....an "Oh, my pictures have to be super clear and super sharp and super smooth and super super bright" to be right. But what is right really? Right is what feels right to you as an individual. The bright colours are definitely my style but often I would think what do OTHER people want to see? And I'd shoot that. Sure, other people liked it and so did I but it wasn't quite the true me.

Then, just this weekend, I picked up my kit lens. Yes, the one talked only about in a dreaded hush in photography circles. That's the one. I found freedom. I could shoot wide, shoot with closed up aps and needed high ISOs, slow shutter speeds....I became a contortionist. Curling up in corners, lying down flat on the ground and jumping in the air to follow my artistic vision. And it was fun. The most fun I've ever had. I didn't think about how other people would perceive my images, or me as a photographer. Not for a moment. I just shot what I loved, before I could even think about anything else. And, ya know, it was SO liberating. It really was. For a while I decided I would just skip outside the circle of convention for a day or two but then I realised that this is what art is all about. It's you, your being and your soul breathed into a photograph. And I think that is what these images are. They are a part of me.

So you might not like them, you might find them too colourful, too fuzzy, too strange...but just know that they are memories and they are me.

Thanks for letting me share. As photographers I am sure you'll understand. Whew, that was a long post! BTW, like my Flickr badge on the side now? I do!! BTW, if you ever want any technical exif info or have any questions, don't hesitate to comment and ask. I'd love to answer, especially as my camera has acquired some crazy syndrome where it wipes out EXIF data. Anyways, thanks for reading. Wish me luck in exams! May God be with you, and happiness too.

~ L. x