Taking Photographs

​I started taking photographs when I was 11 years old. I didn't know much about it other than that I could capture a moment in time and save memories, and it seemed very technical at the time. Immediately I was drawn to the shutter's mechanics and the lens's focus.

At first, I started using a disposable camera that I purchased at the local drugstore, which was easy to use because all I had to do was point and shoot. Most of my first photographs were of friends and family, and nothing I would share with anyone other than friends and family because I was having fun.

When I attended Sherman Indian High school, I took a photography 101 class in my Junior year. As a result, I learned more about using the aperture setting, shutter speed, and loading the proper film into a MINOLTA 35mm SLR camera. 

At first, I took photographs of palm trees, flowers, moving objects, skateboarding, and my friends. I had no clue what I was doing at this point; all I knew was I was having fun taking photos. I needed clarification on what it meant to take a decent photograph, and there was no meaning behind most of the images I captured at first.

Throughout the years, I learned by trial and error, experimenting and taking photos of anything that caught my eye. Most of my photographs were spontaneous; some had some thought behind them. Now, most of my photos are on my cell phone.

The mechanical parts of a 35mm camera still interest me and take me back to when I first started taking photos. So I love collecting MINOLTA cameras when I come across one because that's where I started.

I love learning how to take better photographs, constantly looking for inspiration around me, and finding places I've yet to explore in my community.

See images below.