Inspiration

If I think way back my first inspiration to take photographs was when I was a kid I watched Bridges of Madison County and the dude went around taking photos of, well, bridges in Madison County. One scene in particular he was commenting on why he wasn't taking the photo yet. He looks at the bridge and says "it's not the right light"

My record button was pressed during that scene and the shutterbug chrysalis was laid. I've always looked for the right light, I've always looked for "the shot" even when I didn't have a camera.

I never actually had a camera until the started putting them in phones. And my first photoshoot with intention was going around Main and Hastings with my camera phone. It was something like 1.2MP phone or something but I remember even "editing" the photos back then too. Just turning them monochrome, lol.

It's more than just pushing a button. It's evaluating the whole scene....is the light right? Can I make the light right? Is this interesting? If I wait just a little longer will everything be right?

When I started taking photos "professionally" I'd say about 10% of my photos were actually usable or I could make them usable. But now I feel like I don't push the button without intention. Everything has to be right. Right light, right scene, right composition, right pose, right right right. After all this I'd say 20% of my photos are usable now, lol.

In my whole time as a photographer I can truthfully say I've only used Photoshop on one single photo and that was only to take out an intrusive element in the scene.

I don't like the change much. It's how I see the world, not how I think the world should be seen.