I like to think that I’ve always been a photographer, I just didn’t have the upgraded camera yet. For as long as I can remember I’ve enjoyed taking pictures. And not just pictures, but composing them in a way that made them stand out to me. I remember visualizing scenes before I even took the camera or cell phone out and pressing click. Often I would see something in a scene that would impel me to take the picture. It would excite me in a way that others didn’t see. 

I had a style of photography before I even knew that I had one. I had a love for light play, shadows, and black and whites. Nothing was better than seeing what the natural sunlight and the corresponding shadows would produce. Silhouettes and slivers of light sneaking through small spaces creating natural spotlights were my thing.

Photos that I printed to be hanged had to have a certain look and I knew it when I saw it. I wasn’t content to simply have a certain landmark or person in the photo. The photo had to have a certain look or it wasn’t going up. The picture either had to have unique lighting, tell a story, or be composed strikingly. 

I have long been a fan of candid shots. The access to digital cameras was a supreme gift for me. Often, I would click until my battery died, getting several versions for the same candid shot until I got what I was looking for. I wasn’t always content with the typical line everyone up, one, two, three say cheese photos. Sometimes they worked, but mostly they were too bland for my liking.

The seeds were already planted. I was already there and I just didn’t know it yet. I had ideas about composition that I liked before I knew what they were. The idea of thirds and taking pictures where the subject was off-center were two things that I employed extensively before I knew they were even a thing. I realized that perfectly centered photos didn’t always make for the best photo. 

I started to think about taking photography seriously when I started my travel blog Smiles on Arrival. Since I was just starting and didn’t know how it would go, I decided to use my cell phone to start off and then after a year or so, invest in a decent camera. 

That worked fine and fortunately, the cameras on phones now can produce some pretty nice photos. Even though that was the case, I realized that there could be a difference in the quality of my photos if I invested in a good camera and then learned how to put that camera to good use.

I had seen many great travel blogs with amazing photos and I knew that I wanted my blog to look like that someday and it would require me to take that next step.

Taking The Next Step in Photography

That someday came a bit quicker than anticipated when COVID 19 hit. Suddenly our travel plans were canceled and interest in travel blogs evaporated. In that absence, I thought about pivoting to a more local aspect. This would mean highlighting some travel-friendly locations and attractions in and around Cleveland. As the pandemic progressed it became increasingly clear. Travel as a whole would take a back seat for the foreseeable future.

That’s when I started to think about photography apart from travel and the fact that one of the things that it was still safe to do was to visit parks. And fortunate for us, Cleveland has one of the best park systems in the country. Parks that my family has enjoyed thoroughly throughout the years. 

The idea was formed that I could pick up photography that I had already planned to do, even though it would be a little sooner than I expected. I could start by visiting the beautiful parks in our area. These parks would provide seemingly endless photographic subjects. The variety was not only in the landscapes, but in how the landscapes change with the seasons.

There are plenty of other opportunities in and around our city that I plan on capturing.

I’m looking forward to continuing my journey in photography and sharing it in this space and on my social channels.  LIGHTFOCUS Photo will provide me the opportunity to not only share my photography but the process of taking these photos as well as what I learn along the way.