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I always had symptoms of OCD growing up, but when COVID-19 hit in 2020, it ramped up severely, and hit a new peak.
The way that my OCD manifested itself was obsessively keeping all my belongings clean and untouched by anything my mind deemed "contaminated" from the outside world, which was really just anything that wasn't mine or in my room. Because of this, my room became a "safe space", the only one. Leaving it felt like inviting chaos.
It was exhausting, showering multiple times a day, washing my hands and arms until my skin became dry, scaly, even cracked, bleeding. Eventually, I got diagnosed. But by then, the damage had been done. It wasn't just easier to stay inside all day, everyday. It was normal.
I finished the rest of my schooling completely online, rarely leaving home, and I didn’t realize it at the time, but I longed for what was outside.
Whenever I did leave, I would take pictures on my phone. Fascinated.
Like I had never truly seen the outside world before.
That’s where the seed for my passion was planted.
The First Step: A Camera and a Dream
After graduating, I booked a trip to California. This was a huge step for me as a young adult, all things considered. However, right before leaving, I randomly got the urge to buy a camera.
The pictures I had taken on my phone never fully captured what I saw, the way the fog shaped an isolated mood, the feeling of being towered over by trees, the main focus in what I was viewing.
I wanted something that could.
I didn’t know anything about photography. I just knew I needed something beginner-friendly, affordable (as far as real cameras go), and good enough quality to grow with me.
After some research, I found this camera: the Canon EOS Rebel T7, paired with this memory card to save and transfer my photos.
When I bought it, I had no idea what I was doing. I only had a few days to figure out the basics before my flight.
But when I started snapping photos, I realized something:
I was creating a visual diary of my growth.
My First Photos: Then vs. Now
Here are a few pictures from that very first trip to California, and a few from another trip just a couple of months later when I came back to California.
(None of these are edited, all straight from the camera.)
vs.
The difference even over a few months amazed me. I began to develop my style, and capture the things I truly wanted to remember.
Where I Am Now: Still a Beginner, Still in Love
I would still consider myself a beginner.
- I don’t edit my photos (yet).
- I’m just learning what shutter speed, aperture (f-stop), and ISO mean.
- I mainly take horizontal landscape photos.
But I have so much fun.
And honestly, that’s what matters the most.
Final Thoughts
Photography has become a part of my healing.
After years of isolation, and battles with my OCD, I’m addicted to the outside world again.
And now, I can finally capture the beauty that once felt so far away.
I’m excited to continue learning, experimenting, and sharing everything I discover along the way.
Thanks for being here as I grow.