Photography has become my primary creative outlet. Beyond capturing satisfying, to me, images, I very much enjoy the gear. And like anyone who gets serious in a lifestyle (or hobby) change I've delved deeply into the internet and more specifically YouTube to soak in all I can about the current state of photography. So many genre, so much gear, so very very many people uploading images. Although I appreciate how powerful the camera in my iPhone 13 is, I love the feel of a "real" camera in my hand. In fact, sometimes I believe I'm just as interested the physical act of pressing the shutter, and the process leading up to that moment, as I am in the resulting image. I should probably explore that thought a bit more at some point. In any event, I'm trying to think through for myself the kind of photographer I am, or want to be. Certainly I want to capture images of which I can be proud. However, when I'm asked what "kind" of photographer I am, I don't know how to answer. Landscape? Street? Portraiture? Documentary? Photo Journalism? Astrophotography? Wildlife? A glance through the portfolio of the past two years will show a heavy dose of landscapes, wildlife and astrophotography with a little bit of urban landscape and day-to-day documentary thrown in. Perhaps I'm a generalist. I'm not sure that is a formal category but it seems to convey the nature of my current output. At the end of the day I don't suppose it matters as long as I am enjoying the journey.
