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Picture info: ISO 100, 1/200, f/3.20, 50mm, Av, flash

Again, another uninspired day. We were late to an appointment so I didn't grab my camera. I did take some shots at the Children's Museum in Factoria with my BB, but I haven't even looked at those. I figured I'd make a token effort with some stuff in the house so I put a stack of photography books onto a bookshelf and started snapping.

I have been obsessed with reading technique books, Photoshop books, lighting books, photography blogs and all that sort of stuff. Then I go look at what I shoot and see that there is so much learn and apply and improve upon and it's sort of daunting.

I had a thought recently that I guess it's similar to when I picked up my first bass in the summer of 7th grade. Of course, I was just a kid. Good and bad, I suppose. I didn't know what I was getting into, and I didn't know where I was supposed to be. My music teacher let me borrow a Fender Jazz bass for the summer, told me the notes of the strings (EADG) and the relation of the frets (each fret is a 1/2 step) and I took it from there. I taught myself how to play by watching others and wearing out tapes of stuff I can't even remember, but mainly Rush. Exit... Stage Left, anyone?

As I got older, I was so into wanting to impress people. Look at me! I wanted to just be on stage and play music and jump around and have people enjoy it. I think with that, I've been successful to a certain extent. People enjoy my bands' music and my performances and I'll always love that.

I've played bass now for 25 years or something insane like that and been playing out in Seattle for 10+ years and it's become second nature. These days, like last night, for example, when I play, I have a few goals, the least of which is to impress anyone anymore. One is to play well individually and as a band. Another is to enjoy myself and let that come across when I play. I think I accomplished both those goals last night, but it can be hard sometimes, especially when there are not many people around.

Anyway, with regards to photography, I feel like I did when I first started playing bass. I have basic knowledge on how to use the instrument (camera), but no real grasp of it. I can take rudimentary pictures, but still have yet to turn those pictures into pictures that blow people away.

Now I have this old DSLR and, finally, after having read the manual, I have an idea on how to use it beyond simply centering the subject and pressing the shutter. I'm looking my environments, my surroundings and people and thinking, how would that look on camera? And then when I shoot it and look at it later, sometimes it's, "meh," but other times it's, "did I do that? Wow!" And those moments are pretty darn cool.

It's a learning process and it can be daunting, but man, is it fun. I wonder how my photography will be in 25 years?