The Interest That Wanes

Things have come and gone in my life. Interest and hobbies that lasted a brief while. Some I've revisited... often numerous times. While others are only discernible in my past through leftover materials, books, pictures and memories.

I've collected stamps & coins. Played guitar (rather extensively through high school), been interested in cars & upgrading them (ever so briefly), computer programming, archery, drawing, video production, plastic model kits/airbrushing, RC vehicles.... the list goes on. The only thing to ever hold my interest for an extended period of time was computers. Building, repairing, troubleshooting, and of course customizing. Both hardware AND software! I could never get enough of... technology.

Until photography.

I'm not quite sure I can pinpoint the allure. I never had any drawing talent. Not that I pressed myself to be much better, mind you. I attempted to write "poetry", as well as a book (does 3 chapters written on looseleaf paper in a history class count?). Was a less-than-average guitarist. None of these interested me enough to keep me at them. To entice me to learn more about, or better myself.

Until photography.

Computers come naturally to me. I started very young, and immersed myself in them. For the past 21 years, there has never been an end in sight for the amount of knowledge I'd be willing to consume about computers. College felt like a waste of time. Not that my school offered any computer-repair-maintenance related courses... but I'm sure I would have turned my nose up at being taught something I already know. Never understanding that there would be things I might learn that perhaps I did *not* know.

Until photography.

I've found myself spending more and more time away from the technology field. I haven't been keeping up with the latest gear. I haven't been reading as many articles, or following as many blogs as I used to. I'm still working in computer repair, but find myself more and more disinterested in the field.

It seems that all I want to do these days is make photographs. I want to get better at making photographs. I want to see other people's photographs, and read about their stories, and immerse myself in the art. I want to capture a moment. Moments. Slices of time that can be reviewed. Analyzed. Studied. Critiqued. Edited.

And throwing myself into it head first has been my solution. I hope that I can take this hobby and do more with it. I hope that I have the ability to work at something not only for the sake of improving my own mastery of the field... but also to make a name for myself within it.