One Year.
It's pretty amazing what can happen in a year.
I bought my first mirrorless camera one year ago today. I was nervous because I could not really justify the spending. I had recently read an article that stated that phone cameras had come such a long way that there is no real difference between those and DSLRs or mirrorless cameras. Thank the f*ck it somehow rang wrong or that I wanted one anyway.
Back in the day, my dad put a film camera in my hand when I was about 10 and, as far as I recall, people told me I took good photos. Me and my twin sister also got darkroom equipment for our birthday—a film tank, enlarger, chemicals. I remember finding it unbelievable that I was able to see the negatives of photographs that I had only taken a few hours earlier, or the thrill of seeing them slowly appear in the developer solution. There's something quite magical about being in a barely lit room by yourself and seeing those recorded moments, frozen in time, come to life right in front of you.
Then music happened. I went over to a friend's house for that infamous, first ever music session that would go on to change the course of my life. He had an out-of-tune guitar, and I "played drums" with my hands on a turntable lid. I'll never forget that distinctive sensation of being taken somewhere as we were playing—another place that felt more real than reality. That was it, I was hooked. Fast forward 25 years: with a solid career of music production, I found myself burned out making music for a living. Another 5 years later I am happy in my day job as the Program Manager of Music Production at the LA Film School in Hollywood.
It's pretty amazing what can happen in a year.
I bought my first mirrorless camera one year ago today. Photography reminded me that I am a someone for whom art is not a nicety but a necessity. It took me back to where it all started: when I was making music more because I needed it, not only because I wanted it. I seem to process the world through a creative outlet. Photography brought back the memory of observing and analyzing your output in order to gain a better understanding of yourself. Art is a vehicle, through which I process the world and myself in it. Capturing moments and organizing photos haven't only taught me to notice what's around me more, but they are the tools that enable me to learn more about the world and the way I see it.
I only wish I had started taking photos sooner. Then again, I kind of don’t. In hindsight, it was probably perfect timing. Who knows, maybe I would’ve got burned out of photography and not music. At any rate, there’s one thing I do know: photography is here to stay.