I’ve been photographing for about a decade now. I can tell you from my experience that time tells all. This means, it will take you lots of time to become a better photographer. It took me about 2 to 3 years to master the basics, technical settings, and get the fundamentals down. For context, I first used a Nikon FM with black-and-white film when I was in high school around 16 years old, and then transitioned to my uncle’s Leica M3 with a 35mm lens. It was there that I learned how to frame on the streets, using the rangefinder, seeing the world through the glass window, making pictures through spontaneity, and work that made sense to me. Once I got to Baltimore and studied in university, I transitioned to using a Ricoh GRII. It was there I learned to liberate myself through using automatic modes, LCD screens, and making pictures in a way was 10x more efficient and effective at expressing how I see the world.
I arrived at a basketball court, where I was greeted by a beautiful scene. It was there that there was nice light, the golden hour during sunset. It was there that I learned to simply set the camera to P mode, point, and shoot. I learned that technical capabilities of cameras are advanced, and perhaps wise for me to continue using digital cameras as my medium of choice because it increased my love for photography.
Eternal Return to Day One
Photography requires practice and repetition, like basketball. I find that when I go out every day, I increase my chances of finding something. What’s amazing about photography is, you never know what you will find. I think that detaching yourself from the outcome or the photographs themselves is a very wise approach to daily practice. You should never expect to come home with something, but just go out each day, without real expectations at all. Allow yourself to be surprised by the results, and what the camera will see. I feel like each day I’m stepping back onto the court, dribbling my ball (camera) for the first time, and allowing myself time to grow with repetition and practice endlessly. Who knows, maybe I’ll finally top my first shot.