Overcoming your fears

Fear

As said in the book Art and Fear, written by David Bayles and Ted Orland, "Fear's about artmaking fall into two families: fears about yourself, and fears about your reception by others". Fear is one of the main components that prevents people from being confident in their work and being willing to publish it to the world. Many people are scared to fail, and although it is completely understandable, it often prevents people from reaching their full potential. We need art in this world, to tell a story, to teach the future generations, and etc, but if people are too scared of other's opinions then no art will be made, and we wouldn't know much about the past and the world would be very dull. Whether it be paintings, pictures, music, or dancing, someone has to do it to keep us sane from the dullness that would be the world without those things. Photography is the way that I, personally, can portray stories (especially considering I don't have the coordination to dance or the patience to paint).

No matter what happens, people will always have different opinions on art, and no one piece of art can satisfy everyone. Some people don't like the Mona Lisa, some people don't like rap, while other's do. One of the hardest parts of doing art is reaching an audience that understands the meanings behind your work. And one of the main parts of this is going out and doing what you do, the way that you do it. You have to make it you're own, and as soon as you appreciate it, so will others.

Thanks for joining me on this journey of photography.

Staying focused on photography

Photography 

Past experiences

I've always enjoyed photography, but I have never been that good at it. Even though I've taken many photo's throughout my life, it wasn't until last year that I decided it was a passion of mine and to pursue it as a hobby. Last year I was enrolled in the Photo 1 course at Kentridge, and this year I am in Photo 2, and will most likely continue on to more advanced classes in the years to follow. Earlier this year, I had bought my first DSLR camera, which had been a huge upgrade from just shooting on my phone. Also, I just bought a second lens, which will help to further my capabilities and the range of photos that I can take.

Current Achievements

Over the course of the two years of photography class that I have taken, I have learned a lot both about the photo and about the camera. It is important to know your camera, and it is equally important to know what you are shooting. I haven't won any awards (yet), but I still have taken some pictures that I am proud of.

These are an example of some of the photos that I took over the summer. 

The Future/Photography Explained

Just as any form of art, many people think that you need to be born with talent to make good art. Towards the beginning of the book I am reading, Art and Fear, it stated that "Artmaking involves skills that can be learned. The conventional wisdom here is that while 'craft' can be taught, 'art' remains a magical gift bestowed only by the gods"(Bayles, Orland, 3). This shows that the thing that we are taught from a young age is that being able to create art is genetic and is out of your reach if your parents aren't artistic. However, this isn't true. Being able to create art is something that anyone can master, so long as they set their mind to it and work hard to achieve their goal. I work hard on photography, and little by little, day by day, I am reaching my goals and sometimes accomplish things that I didn't know I have within me. 

Having nice pictures isn't just meant to look pretty and to please the eyes, but it is more about capturing the story behind that picture, and making a memorable impression on the people who see it, which is why I personally think that photography is one of the more beautiful types of art. What do you think is the most beautiful forms of art?

Bayles, David, and Ted Orland. Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking. Santa Barbara: Capra, 1993. Print.