The Journey From Point and Shoot to DSLR

One Christmas, several years ago, my family was huddled around, as we always have, in the living room-- the one I've known for the entirety of my twenty years. I don't remember exactly how it happened and what the dialogue was, but I do remember my uncle giving my family a Canon point and shoot (an A560 Powershot, to be precise). He said something about the salesman stating it was an incredible camera, and I recall how I knew it had to be, but my small non-technological brain only went so far. It was like another world for me, one that was blurry and unfamiliar.

I laugh when I think about me and my family being completely clueless to how to operate it, and how we were disappointed that it only could hold eight pictures at a time (a result of the lovely throw-away memory cards that came with it;) ). It was set aside, due to it seeming like a foreign piece of material, but I always knew that this "digital camera" must be something special, deep down. This is the reason I decided to finally conquer fears and face this issue head-on. Doing research, I figured a few things out about the memory card problem... And playing around with the settings I started to see how the quality out-shown all the film cameras I'd ever clicked the shutter of. 

It became fun-- I didn't have to worry about how many pictures I snapped, I could practically take all the ones I cared to, without spending a few arms, legs and a possibly a Mercedes or two. It was refreshing. I wasn't concerned very much with being artistic or capturing a shot that would make my family "ooh and ahh", I just tried to get the best pictures I could, and captured memories I wouldn't have to forget. 

I look back at that now, and I can't help but smile at how God worked in my life. It wasn't a blinding moment of sheer awe when I first picked up a digital camera, it was more like a watered-down apathetic appreciation, from a teen who's concern for photography wasn't even on the charts. Slowly, He's given me a love for the art, one that's truly become my passion. I thrill when I get a shot that captures an emotion, and there's something weakening to be said for the dazed zone you go into, while holding a camera. It's like the world melts away and you're left with beauty and a means to capture it. 

Now, He's given me the first step to the opportunity to make it not only my passion, but my career, in time. I'm getting my first Canon DSLR next week, knowing I'll be starting on photoshoots very, very soon and I can barely feel my heart beating at the thought of doing what I love as a job. I'm jumping; jumping headfirst off of a high-dive and landing into a scary, breathtaking, incredible life, filled with millions of clicks, late-night editing sessions, and more smiles than my face is capable of. I'm not sure I'm a hundred percent ready and prepared, but I'm jumping off anyway because I know my life is meant to be an adventure.