Ready, Aim, Click: The Art of Amateur Photography

Welcome back to The Expressionist Magazine

The art of photography surrounds us everyday.  It’s in everything we do and in everything we see.  A blossoming flower.  An amber sun melting into the ocean.  A child reaching up for its mother.  Perhaps it is even the dirtied and shameful face of a homeless man on a city street.  These all could be award winning photographs waiting to happen.  The ability to visualize and be creative behind a lens is what separates a photographer from the rest of us.  However, you needn’t own a fancy studio or have years of specialized training to take beautiful photographs.  Amateur photographers are taking the street with nothing more than a basic camera and an artful eye.  Many of these beginners have not studied the art formally.  They just have a way of seeing things differently and simply take on photography as a hobby. Some eventually develop this hobby into a successful career, while others are content to keep it as just something to do on the side.

For Sarah Jordan, photography has always been a passion and a part of her life.  Jordan says she started the art as a just a past time and was never trained.  This amateur picture taker simply follows online forums and tip pages to get ideas on how to better her skills.  Without a mentor, Jordan also uses the Internet for inspirational and educational sites such as Picasa and Flickr.  She says she likes to see what others take pictures of and then learns how to find her own subjects.

The St. Petersburg, Florida resident got her first “nice” 35 mm camera when she was about twelve or thirteen.  It was at this time Jordan really started taking photographs.  Today, she uses a Kodak Easy Share C813, which she considers to be “a very simple digital camera.”  According to Jordan, her lack of equipment is a major limitation.  ”With a basic camera, it is difficult to capture certain angles and compensate for poor lighting, etc.”  Although she admits she wouldn’t mind upgrading, Jordan is happy with the results she has achieved with her Kodak.

So, why did Jordan choose this hobby?  ”Photography is fun for a lot of reasons.  It is rewarding to find beauty in things that people may otherwise take for granted, and capturing a moment on film allows you to go back and look at it and interpret it in many different ways,” explains Jordan.  Although the photographer has been interested in using a camera for most of her life, she has gotten much more involved with her hobby in just the last couple of years.  Jordan, in addition to being an amateur photographer, is also a paranormal investigator.  While out on ghost hunts, she would take pictures in the hope of capturing evidence of the spirit world.  ”I noticed that I took some interesting pictures while gathering information for future investigations and just expanded on that- taking pictures wherever something caught my eye,” states Jordan.

Jordan’s inspiration is not just in the paranormal, but is found in natural Florida beauty, specifically in Tampa Bay.  She is drawn to St. Petersburg’s history and its beautiful landmarks such as the Skyway Bridge and Fort DeSoto.  However, Jordan also enjoys candid photography taken of her family and friends at places like Disney World or while out fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. “Anywhere memorable,” sums up Jordan.  Florida’s landscapes and pristine beaches always make for inspiring canvases.  Jordan believes inspiration is all around us in the “Sunshine State” and photographic opportunities are abundant in beautiful Florida.  ”I was born and raised here so it has been easy to take the things we see everyday for granted.  By taking pictures of these things, I can go back and look at the landscapes that surround me everyday and appreciate them more fully,” says Jordan. It is this kind of reflection that makes for an outstanding photograph.  Jordan believes this her strength in photography- the ability to find beauty in everyday things.  But with a strength, can come a weakness.

So, what’s the hardest thing right now for Jordan when it comes to taking pictures?  That’s an easy answer for this beginning photographer.  ”Forgetting to take my camera with me everywhere I go!”  With the ability to see beauty in all aspects of life, one must be prepared for those unexpected and awe-inspiring moments.

Jordan says that when it comes to photography her favorite part is scouting out new subjects for her photos.  But even better than that? Being able to review the photos when she gets home.  It’s almost like unwrapping gifts; you’re excited to see what is inside each one. “All parts of photography are fun,” claims Jordan.

So, with that said, is Jordan planning on changing her amateur status to professional anytime soon?  ”I would like to learn more about the technical aspects and maybe even pursue it as a career.  I can’t imagine being lucky enough to get paid for doing this,” admits Jordan.  For this talented beginner, her dream job doesn’t seem too far from grasp.

To contact Sarah Jordan regarding her photography, please e-mail her at sarahmarie315@hotmail.com, or you can find a sampling of her beautiful work on Flickr under the username, sarahmarie315.