Five years ago I was a 29 year-old, freshly divorced, wannabe world-traveler with a crisp new passport and an exotic looking, Spanish-Irish-British love interest who was begging me to fly to London. Having just sold my first condo, I had a few extra dollars and splurged on a plane ticket. I also redeemed some credit card points for a free 5 megapixel digital camera, which I planned to use to photograph creepy old castles to hang on the walls of my new condo. I knew absolutely nothing about photography at the time, other than what I thought would look good on my walls.
Unfortunately for Joseph, my poor love interest, I sat next to an especially charismatic journalist type on the 9 hour flight who had stimulated my brain to such an extent that I couldn’t later adjust to Joseph’s shy personality. I was far more enraptured with the Scottish and English countryside than the painfully forced conversation to which I’d been subjected. Ah well, it’s for the best that didn’t work out anyway. I had pictures to take!
Time flies. Since that first trip overseas, I’ve returned to Europe (although other destinations) three times and to Africa twice. I’ve upgraded my camera four times, and I’m finally figuring out the technical components of photography – although, it’s my personal opinion that having a fancy camera can’t make you a good photographer.
These are the first images I ever took with my first ever camera, a wimpy little 5 megapixel Samsung Digimax A503. And yet, they are some of my favorites.
Jolene's Life in Focus 
I love your photos. I’m at the beginning of that 5 year journey, I suppose. I have always liked photos and I’ve been getting more and more interested in the last year, so this post was inspiring to me. The divorce, the new creative life, the wonder of it all!
Thank you for visiting, and good luck with your journey!
These are wonderful architectural shots and an interesting look back at a burgeoning talent just waiting to be developed and explored. Nice story, too. Perspective is a wonderful thing…in photography and life! 🙂
your pics are really fascinating!!!
Your photo of the wood bridge and steeple in the background is absolutely breathtaking…. You have a wonderful eye Jolene. What a beautiful gift……..
Thank you, John! I sometimes feel like that gift comes and goes, but it’s always fun. 🙂
I have some favorite pics that I took with my little Canon Digital Elph several years back. They’re good images even though they weren’t taken with an awesome camera. Even these days, I shoot with a D90 which isn’t a professional grade camera. It gives me the results I want, though. If it can’t give me good photos, it’s because I’m not using it well! Nice to know a little bit more about your background, Jolene. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and sharing some tidbits of your own, Joseph. 🙂 Maybe you knew this, but I also shoot with a D90. I would give anything for something really cool like a D3X, but I’m perfectly happy at the moment with what I have.
interesting back story, Jolene. These photos turned out very well. like you wrote, it’s not the camera.
Thank you for sharing your story! Great shots!
You are the photographer, not your camera. Great photos Jolene. 🙂
Interesting story Jolene. And you are right, I can’t see you being with the shy personality type either. I’m with Mike about the photographer/equipment. Nice shots. 🙂
Great post. When I think 5 years back it seems like a whole other life and person. And I completely agree that fancy equipment does not make a good photographer. But a good photographer can get good results with just about any equipment.
Lovely photos. I especially like the first one, with bright sunlight and the sepia tones.
Lovely images, Jolene! I especially like the first one, leading into the sun. And you are absolutely right about the equipment not making a photographer anymore than having a piano makes a pianist.
I like your story.
Beautiful!