Do What You Love.

The three or four people I drag out constantly to be my go-to models to try new things, 

probably get sick of me real fast. 

But, lets be honest.  

Every body loves pictures of themselves. 

Don't even deny it. 

Even then, I can't even begin to say how grateful I am that I have such willing friends to help me out. They seriously are the best people and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

And no matter how many times I drag them out in the cold or the heat and make them stand in front of a camera for me, 

Building up a credible portfolio isn't easy. 

At all. 

Not a lot of things are.

And my portfolio isn't even CLOSE to where I want it to be. 

But I'm definitely getting there and the help is so greatly appreciated. 

However one things for sure,

through classes and teaching myself on my own time, 

the research and manuals and insane jealousy I have over some photographers out there,

its starting to pay off. 

Things take time.  They take a lot of time, and patience really is a virtue.

Never even knew it could make such a huge difference to know how to work Manual mode. 

I'll never shoot in anything else.  

It takes a lot of time to get used to, and a lot of time to get the hang of it, 

but the outcome of your pictures are a million times better, and you have a million times more control over them. 

Stock lenses?

The worst thing in the world.  

I'm getting stoked to try new lenses coming in the mail for a wedding. And they aren't even going to be mine.  That's how much I hate stock lenses. 

 And yes, I get nerd-ly excited over things like that. 

So. Basically what I'm getting at.

If there's one thing I know, 

it's to never give up on something you are passionate about. 

That goes for anything, not just a career. 

And it may not seem ideal or that big of a deal to some people to get worked up over something like photography.  

Cause everybody is doing it now a days, right?

But thats part of the not giving up on it.  

 It's so much more to me than just snapping a couple shots. 

Just takin pictures cause takin pictures is easy if you've got a camera. 

Not really, not when you're trying to do it the right way.

To me, photographs tell a story, and by looking at them, that moment can be relived. 

And that's the best feeling in the world.  

To feel as if you're there in that spot, 

that moment, 

with those feelings,

at that time again.

That's how you know you've got an insanely memorable picture. 

So no matter what people think or say, if you like it, go for it. 

Be the best person you can be at whatever you're going after.  

For hours on end if thats what it takes, 

cause thats what I'm realizing it takes. 

That and a whole lot more money than I bargained for. 

Don't get discouraged when something doesn't work out. 

Get up, and try again. 

I get discouraged over the fact that I haven't been able to get a secure business off the ground yet,

and I've been working at it for what? Like maybe a year? Year and a half tops? Not even. Thats not even working at it the best I could be, its like here and there work every few days that's not even going to cut it. It AT LEAST takes three or four years with hard work to be a successful self-employed business owner.

And I'm 19?  For some reason I keep thinking I'm like 30 and really need to get my feet off the ground. 

Not saying that not having your feet off the ground at 30 is a bad thing. 

Just. Yeah. 

And I'm realizing more and more every day, 

to stop comparing yourself to others. 

I'll spend hours, flipping through other photographer's work and wish I had the slightest bit of talent that they had. 

And I'm sure they did the same thing.  Maybe not, maybe it just came naturally.

But that's the thing.  You don't want to be just like somebody else. 

So work at it and don't give up.

Do what you love.

Be brave with your life and try new things that are out of the ordinary.