Yesterday I had a really engaging conversation with an American photographer. We have the same interest in photography, and she asked when was it you knew that you wanted to be a photographer.
That was a really hard question, as when do you know what you want to do...in life? Also I mean, am I a photographer? A real photographer? I know I am trying to be, but at the moment, it is like I am waiting for someone to bring around my certificate and advise me, you have passed.
I know when I was in high school I had no idea what I wanted to do! I knew that I loved taking photos, but I guess to some extent it was put out to me that 'photo taking' wasn't a 'real' job. I wished I had someone who had believed in, or more so showed me that it was a real job, as in a way I feel like I have missed a lot of years.
Ok, this isn't supposed to be a counselling session...to myself....but anyway I knew when I was 8 years old that photography was something I really loved.
Its funny because those feelings then are what I have now, and it was all brought about by a photo. I think everyone knows this photo. It was a portrait shot, taken in 1985 (1984 actually) by acclaimed Photographer Steve McCurry, and it was the National Geographic cover shot....see here.... My uncle had all those magazines, and I saw it, and I knew that I liked that photo. It was a photo of an Afghan girl and she had the most amazing eyes.
That photo kind of started a trend of mine, where I would see amazing photographs in magazines, books...ahem library books, and rip them out and keep them. My mother can attest to thousands of ripped pages lying everywhere, but I guess even then, it was inspiration, and as an artist you want to surround yourself with it.
It also put me on a road to portrait photography, and trying to find my own style.
Dream job would to be travel and take amazing portraits, and hopefully that might be a reality one day! For now my amazing muse is helping me alot!
