On Starving-Artisthood

For those of you who don't know me, I am not a wealthy socialite traveling the globe taking pictures at my leisure.  The truth is, I am a doctoral student in child clinical psychology in my 6th year at the University of Missouri and about to begin a year-long internship (that's code for regular job responsibilities without matching pay) in Pennsylvania that will complete my degree requirements.  During my time as a grad student, I have made some great friends, gained a great deal of professional experience, and explored interests like photography and music, but I have not made myself wealthy.  Why do I mention this, you might wonder?  Is it because I'm asking for donations?  No; it's because I'm functionally pretty broke and have made it work for my young photographic career.  I simply can't afford the most up-to-date computers or software, for regular cross-country or intercontinental travel, or for a $7,000 camera body or $1,500 professional lenses.  But I'm not complaining; quite the contrary, in fact.

Great Burr Oak
 

When you don't have much, the little stuff really matters, and you come to appreciate what's around you.  Most of the photos you see in my Missouri-Central web gallery were taken within a few dozen miles of my home at minimal expense to me (see photos below).  Yet, during art shows in my current home of Columbia, Missouri, I've encountered many individuals with far more resources than I who have never made the trip to the Great Burr Oak, a massive, nearly 400-year-old tree only 15 miles to the south, and they may have failed to notice the way the light sometimes bounces off the numerous nearby creeks when you walk down their streambeds around sunset, or the incredible colors that pass through autumn leaves at just the right time on just the right day.  No doubt, there are plenty of others who have never thoroughly explored the large state park only 10 miles south of town, or the half-dozen nearby conservation areas, let alone the national forest trail system to the southeast.  I'm very happy to have made the most of my resources by taking advantage of the many outdoor opportunities around me, and I've been lucky to encounter many like-minded individuals with sage advice on where to go next. 

Pink Hinkson

The same concept of making the most of resources is also true of doing photography.  If a point-and-shoot is what you have, you can use it to make good nature photos if you just go places when the light is good, experiment, and learn from the results.  Certainly, it's worthwhile to gain some technical knowledge (most of which is available for free on the internet or available at your public library), and you have to be willing to take the camera off Auto mode, but you don't need professional gear or the most expensive software to make art.  Light and nature are the keys: you have to study their qualities, learn about their interplay, and then use the camera as a tool to capture that interplay.  I've encountered several snooty nature photographers on forums who say it's all about the gear and then look at their work and see, well......highfalutin garbage that fails to capture the beauty of light in its natural environment.  I've also encountered folks who take photos with nothing but cell phones and make great art.  So, I wish other photographers the best in making due with what you have and what's around you. 

Fall Forest Rainbow