Semester Reflection:
My Journey so Far
As the first semester of the first year in the photography program comes to a close, I wanted to highlight some of my personal favourite captures. These images come from countless experiences I got to be apart of since being here in Ottawa. From nature photography, to street photography, to studio photography and to just capturing behind the scenes images, I gladly got to dip my toes in a variety of projects.
When I started this journey into the photography program, I didn't know what to expect. The biggest challenge for me at the start was adapting to change in the environment. I came to Ottawa with zero knowledge of the area not knowing where anything is, being from a small town in Newfoundland and Labrador this was a huge change in scenery. Being able to explore new scenery allowed me to better practice the art of nature and street photography.
With a dozen projects faced this first semester, my personal favourites (so far) would have to be ones I never completed for class projects, creating images with no theme, no restrictions, and shooting just for fun. Being able to express my ideas in a studio, on the streets or around the college just for my own purposes has allowed me to grow and enjoy photography more than when I first started my photography journey.
A challenge I faced this semester was not being confident and willing to shoot what I wanted to capture, especially when it came to street photography. With my own camera and lens I felt uncomfortable and it was nerve wrecking when it came to thought of someone noticing me and getting angry if I captured them in a photo. Learning more about street photography and being able to experiment with different lenses, it gave me a better confidence in attempting this style I haven't been too familiar with resulting in captures like the ones featured below. As I continue my photography journey, I hope to better push myself with this style and feel more confident and willing to capture more unique works like this.
This semester, I got to learn the importance of collaboration and how photography is more than capturing an image by yourself. One person can take a picture and make it good, but it takes a team of creative minds to help make a picture look great. I was fortunate enough to work with some talented peers that with their help and creative input I was able to advance my skill and knowledge for photography that I wasn't able to achieve on my own. This semester has allowed me to meet new people and build friendships I hope to carry for the foreseeable future. As the program continues I look forward to continue meeting new people and collaborating on bigger and more exciting projects.
As fun as it is to capture images, the best moments come from what nobody sees, the "behind the scenes" if you will. Each stage in the photography process is exciting to be apart of and capturing the images people don't get to experience is just as exciting as producing the final product.
Next semester, I strive to feel more confident in my work. Being able to critique work and explain the thought process is a skill much needed to better understand in this line of work, and I am eager to learn as much as I can. I hope to expand my current skills as a creator and go beyond of what I produced this semester. I hope to challenge myself and step more out of my comfort zone to make the absolute best content in the second semester. As I get more familiar with this new world I am in, I will continue to expand my knowledge, interest, and love for photography.
Thanks to everyone who has helped me this far on my journey. Being able to work with so many talented individuals has allowed me to further my skills and improve my work and to that I say...bring on second semester, I can't wait to work with everyone again :)
“Your first 1,000 photographs are your worst.”
– Henri Cartier-Bresson
– Henri Cartier-Bresson
