It's about a photographer, who is a rookie

     Having the unofficial title of rookie or greenhorn photographer at home, work and other occasions I attend, the person who has the camera hanging by the strap, around my neck. As with all rookies, I continue to have to learn all the functions of my camera has even after owning about five years. I always enjoyed taking pictures from the first camera which was a square brownie. The camera didn’t even use flash bulb could only use the camera during the day or inside with lots of light. The photos were black and white without the guarantee the photo would come out after film needing to be developed in the early days often had to pay for a lot of blurry pictures of my thumb floor and sometimes I was lucky enough to get a picture of what I was looking at.

      With all technology there came improvement. The first instant camera with a flash bar used color film but the film having ten pictures and flash bar were expensive for a nurse aide salary. I mainly used the camera for vacations and special event holidays. Still little opportunity to be very creative.  The instant camera did now come with an electric flash but still expensive film.

     As a jolt to creative photography came was the point and shoot but it took a degree in engineering to charge the camera, download photos to desktop with a cable. It only had an internal memory which still limited how many photos one could take till the memory had to download to the computer. Mainly I continued using the camera occasional, then another spark from heaven cameras that you could change to a different lens, zoom functions and other bells a whistle's. Creativity here I come.

     I could now take pictures examine it hit delete if I wasn’t happy how it came out. Sometimes I took a picture of one thing but when I looked at it something expected came like I was in New York during the holidays, I pointed the camera to line up the steeple of St. Patrick’s church it began to rain ducked under an awning when I checked the picture it had the church in the background focused inside a triangle formed from the awning. I take my camera now to events that I may take pictures or two to post on social media but Mother nature paints the sky. Waiting for my ride home the sky was darkening, but some clouds had sun coming through I watched the changing sky grabbed the camera. There was a cloud that appeared to me to be like a person running after a dark cloud attempting to grab the cloud. It started to rain the person I was waiting for came I did not look at the picture till I downloaded to my photo file on my desktop. I processed it through a photo shop program was another once in a lifetime photo. Being a rookie, it’s mainly being at the right time, right place and having one’s camera handy. Being a rookie you learn you need to be still and don’t move when trying to get an animal picture. I visited a local park that had bird feeders that attract different birds. One time I sat on the bench made myself comfortable having my camera on my lap zooming on the bird feeders waited sure enough feed them, they will come. I was just about to take a picture of one bird hover over the feeder I sneezed so long birds. I waited till the birds returned and could get a few acceptable photos.  

      Having fun with the different function can be funny. Sometimes I look for candid shots. I put the camera in silent mode, so the subject usually dogs, cats people in candid shots as having whipped cream on their nose. Calling a person then catching them with their mouth wide open.  In the silent function the clicking noise can’t be heard or alert the subject they are in my lens range. I usually have run after some of those candid shots. I don’t post them show the subject a few days later the photo keeping my personal film file.

       When I need to keep the camera steady, I use my tripod. The tripod is also handy when you need to wait for a subject like an animal to stop feel safe the camera gets heavy to hold steady. Recently, I discovered online free sites to submit pictures in photo competitions. The contests are open to any level of photography from rookie to a professional. Each competition has outlines rules on the subject the photo needs to capture. Some competition asks for micro shots, unique patterns. I go around the neighborhood take up close of fences, flowers take picture above the subject lay on the ground shot the picture from the underside. 

    One contest wanted a photo of a person looking at something. I used my bathroom mirror then took a picture of the reflection so it appears I was looking at myself from the side used a black and white setting. I’ve never won and of the cash prize about $500 for first place I look at winners there fabulous. Each contest has a level of experience as a person enters different contest can earn points on likes comments. Any member of the web photo group can host a competition  One picture contest, was titled “Just Circles.” I looked over my photo files found one I took in New York City at Christmas.  In the front of a building on sixth avenue was a triangle-shaped tree made of large red round ornaments. I cropped it a little just to highlight a small circle of the ornaments called it circle of circles. To my surprise, the person who was the sponsor of the competition like the picture meaning it was an extra point to advance skill level within the site. I thought that was cool. The most fabulous event happened about four months ago. One of the Camera and film company was sponsoring a photo contest with the title of Just life. Again I looked through my pictures the number of pictures one could enter was three. I picked three I believed fit the contest outline.

     I submitted them. A few weeks ago I got an email from the company congratulating me that my pictures would be in their exhibition held in New York City at Grand Central Station. I forgot which pictures I entered.

                Later that week the photo company sent as “a thank you” five by seven prints of each picture. The subjects of the photos was one of butterflies taken in a local zoo butterfly house. One was my shadow next to a tree, and the third which was also taken at the local zoo by the eagle enclosure had a sign “How long is your wingspan?” Using my tripod on a timer took a picture of myself with my arms out up against the pictures of an eagle with its wings spread out.

      Seeing my pictures up on a wall with more than a thousand other photos I was on cloud nine.

Maybe not a rookie now but I’m moving on up.