Photographer

Many people know I'm a writer, but I am also a photographer.

I suppose I'm not what one would consider a professional photographer, but I am still a photographer nonetheless. It, like writing, makes me feel alive.

I really love the art and expression of photography.

 

I have taken tons of pictures of my nephews, a total joy for me. I have taken photos for family and friends, framed them, and given them as gifts for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, engagements, and just because. I have also had some photos used in publications and inside my cousin's CD album cover.

Taking photos is like when I write; it stirs something deep within me. And yet, it's different. I am undoubtedly passionate about both. Sometimes the only way I can adequately express something is through writing. But looking through my lens is an opportunity to visually express the world around me. I do that with words, too, but as the old adage goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Indeed it is.

I've been taking photos for many years. 

Even as a kid, I was drawn to photography. I would frequently pick up my Mom's old camera and start snapping away at anything and everything - fields, trees, flowers, food, my parents, my brother, our dog, my Rick Springfield album. Well, I listened to my RS album way more than I ever photographed it, which almost drove my brother crazy by me perpetually playing Jesse's Girl. He still talks about it—LOL.

I was actively involved in 4-H throughout my elementary and middle school years and always chose photography as my annual project. I was also in 4-H during high school but as a teen leader and mentor, so no projects.

I began a professional photography course through The New York Institute of Photography several years ago to develop my skill more. Still, I was unable to complete it because of my pressing health issues. It was during this time I was getting sicker and more fatigued. And I was going through the diagnostic nightmare I wrote about in My Story. However, I did learn some valuable things and got some helpful, encouraging feedback from my instructor.   

Through chronic illness, I've revisited photography in a whole new way. I might not always feel well enough to get out and take pictures, and it can be a challenge to get the certain shots I want from a wheelchair, but it's forced me to look at things from a totally different perspective. Literally, it presses me to look in angles I never would otherwise. Sometimes I'm pretty frustrated because I cannot get the shot I really want, but that doesn't stop me from figuring out how to work around it. It has caused me to get really creative and innovative, which I've learned to appreciate.

I started out with a film-based Canon SLR but now do digital photography, which I love. Canon is still my preferred choice of camera and lenses. I also love the editing programs available today. Still, I'm rather sentimental about film-based photography and miss it at times, but digital is actually easier for me to work with. I like adding my own artsy interpretation by using various editing filters, textures, and apps. Sometimes, though, I just like presenting what I capture in its purest, simplest form.  

I know there are photographers whose work is better in specific ways and more far-reaching than mine. I don't care because photography brings me joy. And nobody can look through the lens and see exactly the way I do. My photography is a unique portrait of who I am, of who God created me to be. I have a distinct style as a photographer and a writer, and I'm continuously developing and advancing my writing and photography in more profound and inspired ways.

Photography is often an escape for me, too. Even if I'm shooting something on the way to a doctor's appointment, I really enjoy it. I like capturing everyday life moments. I also like nature, landscape, still life, conceptual, abstract, and modern vintage photography. 

I'm always drawn in by vibrant colors, but I also love muted colors and certainly black and white photography as well. I sometimes feel black and white delivers the focus in a way color photography cannot. Nevertheless, it's all beautiful art to me, and I love it. 

Pictures do tell a unique story and reveal a moment that's been captured in time. I think that is what really ties my writing and photography together. Words and photographs are distinct, yet they often beautifully complement each other and mutually drive the overall message home. This is why I like to incorporate my pictures or other images with my blogs.

I want to start sharing some of what I've captured through my lens over the years. I also want to share a few photos of my Lyme journey, glimpses into my life. Although I've shot quite a bit of digital over the last few years, many of my photos are still on film. I've yet to transfer them to a digital format, so this is definitely an ongoing process. 

On a side note, music is always a part of what I do, and I would say it plays a role in inspiring my photography and writing. It certainly helps me in my Lyme journey as well.

This is just a starting point, but I hope you'll take a look at some of my photography. 

Thanks for letting me share it with you. I look forward to sharing more over time as my health allows. 

Michelle