At the Click of a Shutter (Post #1) Welcome to My Journey...
Growing up, I was not artistic. I couldn’t sing or play an instrument. I couldn't draw or paint. I couldn't dance. I couldn't act. Any art in my life came from Steven Spielberg movies, cassettes of Bon Jovi, and a print of a painting of Marlborough Street that hung above the mantle in our living room.
I made a lopsided mug out of clay in 4th grade. I sewed a green and white pillow with an “M” on it in 6th grade. In high school I entertained myself by writing rhyming poetry instead of listening in math class. For most of my life, that was the pinnacle of my artistic achievement.
It wasn't until I was 27 and going back to school at UMass Boston that I took my first photography class. It was an introductory class in black and white film studio work. My experience to that point hadn't been much more than some CVS printed snapshots. That class was my introduction to the art of photography. I learned the joy of creating an image and watching it come to life in a puddle of developer. It was the first time that I began looking through the lens and seeing art.
The images I took in that class were pretty rudimentary from a technical point, but I took the opportunity to explore photography as a means of expression, a way of translating ones feelings and emotions in the confines of a photograph. Dealing with some difficult life changes, the images I created in that class aren't filled with skill, but they taught me that I could convey emotion through an image.
"Jumper," Black and White Photography, 2006
For a couple of years after that, my photography was little more than a hobby. I’d carry my camera, a Canon Rebel XSi, around with me snapping shots wherever I went. I’d take a handful of shots every day, some of them artistic, most of them pretty boring. I didn’t really bother much with trying to learn more about the skill and art of it. I was content with staying on Automatic Mode and letting the camera do most of the work.
It wasn’t until I moved 7500 miles away that I fell in love with photography. Running from a flood of emotions following the death of my father and a difficult breakup, I moved to a small city in Eastern China to teach English. A 12 hour time difference and unreliable internet made it difficult to call home as much as I would have wanted, so I began to rely on email to keep in touch. I found myself struggling to accurately describe what I was talking about, so I turned to photographs. I began carrying my camera with me everywhere I went and taking shots of everything I could.
"Confucius Temple at Night," Nanjing, China, 2010
They say that practice makes perfect and I practiced a lot. I started reading up on the art of photography, teaching myself composition and color theory, understanding depth of field and shutter speed. I switched from Automatic to Manual and began taking control of what I was shooting. I started to understand the way that light interacted with shadow, the way that lines and shapes could capture the viewer. I was shooting everywhere that I went, in English class, at the noodle shop, on weekend trips to Shanghai.
After my teaching time ended, my travels took me all around China and Thailand. I was lucky enough to do some incredible things and visit some amazing places. I looked into the eyes of the terra-cotta warriors in X'ian, stood at the base of a 200 foot Buddha carved into a cliff in Leshan, and shared a lush Thai valley with 30 elephants in Chiang Mai. My camera with me every step of the way.
"Pachyderm," Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2011
When I got home I found that I couldn't put the camera down, I had found my passion, my joy. I immediately went out and bought a newer, better model, a Canon 5D Mark III, and decided to start my own part time business.
"Clara Reitz Headshot," Boston, MA, 2014
Over the past four years I’ve done engagement shots at Disney World, shot weddings at the Museum of Science, taken hundreds of headshots and portraits with my camera constantly at my side. I’ve done product photography, corporate photography, commercial photography, travel photography. I’ve done it all and come to the conclusion that what excites me the most is travel photography. Seeing the world, experiencing new places, meeting new people, those are the things that electrify me. Looking at the world around me in a whole new way is what gets me out of bed in the morning.
My photography has taught me so much about life, so much about myself. Travel has done that, as well. Together, they have helped significantly to shape my view of the world. That is what this blog will be about. You will follow me through my journey, both close to home and far away. You will experience life through my eyes, you’ll learn the lessons that I learn and see the world that I see.
Welcome to my journey…
"Lower Manhattan Sunset," New York, New York, 2017