My first blog post, YEAH!
 

It’s so cliché but SO true when people say you can do anything you set your mind to.  Seriously, there is no way if you asked me a few years ago that I would think I’d ever be able to start my own photography business and even have a clue what I’m doing!  It always seemed so daunting, all the technical jargon…aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focal length, exposure, bokeh, the list goes on…how the heck can anyone learn all the technical aspects of photography without years and years of formal training?!

My head used to spin thinking about all these things so I would take my point-and-shoot camera, set it to the trusty AUTO setting and just take simple snapshots of family events and vacations.  That was great and all but I felt like I had no creative control, no ability to create an image the way I WANTED it to look.  I tried messing around with the settings on the little point-and-shoot camera (even the once-dreaded Manual setting, <DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS> lol) but that wasn’t enough, I needed something more, I needed that beautiful buttery bokehlicious background (alliteration much?!) to make my subjects jump off the screen.  It was time to invest in a DSLR camera.

I’m a self-described “gear guy”, I love gadgets, just ask my friends…they find it comical how I have random accessories for everything.  Ariel said it best: “I’ve got gadgets and gizmos aplenty, I’ve got who’s-its and what’s-its galore…you want thingamabobs?...I’ve got twenty!  But who cares, no big deal, I want MOREEEEEEE!” (props to anyone who just sang that line along with me, where are my Disney fans at?).  But seriously, when it comes to digital photography, there is a plethora of options available from so many different manufacturers, it was daunting!  I spent months researching and comparing before I finally made the decision to purchase my first entry-level Nikon DSLR camera with 50mm and 35mm prime lenses (and of course all kinds of fun gadgets to go along with the camera).  This is where the magic happened.

FINALLY, I was able to take photos and get that blurred out background with my subject in sharp focus, my rejoicing cheers resonated throughout the mountains and valleys across the great state of Pennsylvania (OK, maybe I just looked at the images and thought “WOW these look awesome!”…same thing!).  I spent the next year learning the craft, attending workshops, purchasing classes/learning materials from some of the best in the business, and reading anything I could get my hands on to help me grow as a photographer…which brings me to where I am today.

I breathed in deeply…then took the plunge by upgrading all of my gear to professional level equipment (the gadget lover in me did a heel click with glee!) and OOOOOH how I love my Nikon D750 as well as all of my pro lenses.  The image quality and the features are everything I’ve always dreamed of having.  Armed with high-end gear and a wealth of knowledge, I started my own photography business (cue the confetti!) and now I have great opportunities ahead!  It’s so exciting to be able to start this new journey and meet such incredible people along the way.  I really hope I’m able to impact people both in the way I treat them and with those special captured memories I provide to them.  Seeing the joy people have when they’re looking at an image I captured just plasters a big smile on my face…that’s all I could ever ask for! Like Buddy the Elf said: “I just like to smile, smiling’s my favorite!" :-)

Keep on smiling, everyone!
-Steel Thunder