Me? A Photographer?

This is something I've been thinking about and thinking about for a while now.  I have always loved taking pictures, but didn't discover such a love for it until I got my DSLR May of last year.  And even then I had no idea what it would turn into once I discovered how to actually use it!

Starting January of this year I started reading everything I could come across on aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance.  I wished I had discovered this obsession in college so I could take classes.  I probably would have minored in it.

I bought a book called "Understanding Exposure" off of Amazon and that is when the rest clicked for me.  I started using my light meter (bingo!) and I just practiced and practiced and practiced.  So much that we had to buy a desktop to fit all of my pictures on.  I used up every ounce of space on my laptop and we have moved most onto our external, but I needed a desktop to work with.

I've also been using Photoshop Elements since January of last year, but just for scrapbooking.  Then last winter after Naomi was born I discovered editing pictures with it.  And so then I began to mess around with that.  Now I'm using CS5 and am learning how to use that.  I cannot believe the amount of things you can do with it!  It's very exciting.

So.  I was sort of sure that I didn't want to become a photographer.  But then I fell in love with it.  I really didn't want to be one of those girls or SAHM's who get a DSLR and call themselves a photog and charge and take mediocre pictures.  So I practiced some more.  And I had my first real "shoot" last Friday with a former roommate of mine who is now pregnant and I had so much fun.  I have been scouting locations for this particular shoot for weeks and have kept my eye out for places for months.  It was so awesome to see the fence in my backyard come to life!  Or the bushes I thought I would rip out.  Or the fiberglass under my porch!  Simple things started to stand out to me and had such potential.

My confidence has been boosted by this and my roommate.  She has nothing but such good things to say about these pictures and I would like to think she's not just saying it :)  I know I have a whole lot of room to improve but I want to.  I want to take more pictures and learn and improve and get better and experiment.

This new world is exciting and fun.  If you want me to take your pictures email me!  I am looking for more experiences to build on.  I am also trying to decide on a name;  Whitney K or Whitney Rae.  K is the initial of my middle name and Rae is my Mom and Grandma's middle name as well as the beginning of my last name(Well, it's Ray, but I like the look of Rae (the middle name) better).  I'm going to put a poll up on my sidebar to see which sounds better.  Let me know :)

Tomorrow I'll post pictures from Courtney's Maternity shoot!