The Photo That Got You Started

Written by: Tiffany Joyce

Think back to the time in your life when photography was still a mystery to you. For some, that was quite some time ago. For others, it was fairly recently. Now recall that one moment, and that one photograph, that sparked your interest to explore photography more deeply.

For me, this is that photograph:

This is my stepson. My husband took this photo with his old Canon film camera, one lazy day when they were just hanging out. Pawing through the box of family photos, I came across this one and asked my husband, “How did you do that? How did you make him in focus but the background all blurry?”

I wonder how many folks got into photography by asking that exact question?

He responded, of course, that he used a large aperture. He launched into an explanation of f-stops and I got utterly stuck on why f/2.8 is larger than f/16. That was the very conversation that made me determined to really understand photography. So I bought a Canon Digital Rebel and messed around with it until the concept FINALLY clicked in my head.

This is the first photo that I took when I finally got the camera off of Program mode and used aperture priority mode to achieve the depth of field I wanted:

I was extremely proud, altogether out of proportion to the actual achievement. I mean, sure it’s a pretty picture. But I made the background blurry! And the foreground in focus! And I knew why, and how! Mystery solved!

Two seemingly inconsequential photographs that formed the foundation of the photographic skills that I have today. When I need a reminder of why I love photography (because let’s face it, we all have those moments sometimes when we need to be reminded) I recall those two photos and how I felt when I had that “lightbulb” moment.

I would love to hear your own stories and see the photographs that sparked your interest in photography! Please let us know in the comments, or drop us a line on our Facebook Page.

And don’t forget about the contest still going on! Entries will be accepted all the way up to midnight Pacific time on Sunday October 21st. You can enter as many photos as you’d like.

Have a great weekend!

Photos copyright Tiffany Joyce.

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