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It’s been over a year since I spontaneously bought my camera (← this one).
No overthinking, no research rabbit hole, just a moment where I decided to finally go for it. And looking back, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. After my car, it’s easily the second best purchase of my life.

Between my car and my camera, I’ve been able to travel to places I used to only see online, and not just see them, but capture them. I get to keep those moments forever, frozen exactly as they felt.

Seeing Beauty Everywhere

I think I’ve always been the kind of person who notices beauty in strange places. The cracks in a sidewalk. The way light falls across a table. The way fog settles on the edges of a field.

Photography gave me a way to hold on to those things. I’ve never thought of myself as “creative enough” to make something like art from scratch. But when my camera is in my hand, I don’t have to create something from nothing, I just capture what’s already there and give it a little more emphasis.

That’s where the magic is for me.

What I’ve Learned About Myself

Photography didn’t just teach me how to use a camera, it taught me more about who I am.

• I learned that my favorite color is orange, because it’s the one that stops me in my tracks every time I see it in a picture.
• I learned what my favorite places are, because they’re the ones I can’t stop photographing and looking back at.
• I learned that I love sharing my photos just as much as I love taking them, and that’s part of what inspired me to create this blog in the first place.

I even have some of my favorite photos framed around my home with these picture frames, and I know there will be many more to come.

The Space to Grow

The thing about photography is that it shows you more than you would have seen otherwise. I notice details now that I would have overlooked a year ago. It’s changed the way I look at everything, trips, everyday walks, even just stepping outside for a moment.

And while it’s taught me so much, it’s also given me the space to keep learning. There’s no “finished” point with photography. There’s always another moment to capture, another angle to try, another color to chase.

Final Thoughts

When I bought my camera, I thought I was just buying a way to take better pictures. I didn’t realize I was also buying a new way of seeing the world, and myself.

Photography has taught me that beauty is always there if you’re willing to look for it. Sometimes, all it takes is the right lens to help you see it.