Slanted and disenchanted.

MySpace era photography.

I'm bored with photography.

Or maybe I just don't like photographers.
I don't like how they are so worried about being "real" photographers and make fun of people for not living up to their definition of photographer.
There is a huge surge in people creating these days and most feel more comfortable experimenting with photography or design because they feel completely inadequate at drawing or sculpture. I love this. I love that people are wanting to visually express themselves. What I don't love is that snobby photographers are trying to be all Regina George on all of the sweet little photo babies. Like if Ms. Norbury was addressing all the photographers of the world instead of a group of high school girls she would say, "You all have got to stop calling each other fakes and phonies. It just makes it okay for other artists to call you fakes and phonies." 

I know not all photographers are like this (duh), but almost all photography websites have posts on how to be a "real" photographer. I just think it's silly. Are graphic designers this way, too? Because there are a lot amateur designers charging for blog designs and whatnot, but I don't see the professionally educated designers belittling n00bs. Also, most of the snobby photographers do their own graphic design work and it isn't as good as if they would have hired a pro graphic designer. So that's something they should think about.

So I'm going to be giving up photography for a while. I'm selling my D300 (but keeping my Baby D50 and my Pentax 35mm named Sancho Panza) in hopes of raising money to take a painting or ceramics class at the local art center. (And also so we can get Ezra and I a car.) Did you know that even though I got a bachelor of fine arts degree I have never taken a painting class? I took printmaking instead because painting intimidated me and I thought printmaking would be easier. (I was wrong.)

You might be thinking that if I can so easily give up photography then I never was a real photographer to begin with. That's fine. I've never thought of myself as a photographer anyway. I'd rather be an artist who mainly works with cameras.
I guess it's also kind of dramatic to say that I'm giving it up. I'll keep taking photos because I have the cutest most presh to death baby boy bot. My main, or even second or third, focus right now is just not photography. "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven."

If you are one of those people who are starting to get interested in photography, don't let the haters stop you from doing your thing! However, I do strongly recommend getting to know your camera and learning about exposure and composition before you try to start a business. Do a photo-a-day project. You'll learn so much. Also, if you have any questions, I will try my best to answer them. I've never been much of a photo tech geek, but I am pretty good at using the ol Google.

I will never stop creating.