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Today is this photo blog’s second birthday.
During the last two years I made a point of publishing one picture per day. This choice carved “photography” into my daily routine, and made me experience things such as shoot people’scandid close-up, select the proper (to me) go-for camera/lens and understand the kind of picture I’m keener to shoot (that aren’t necessarily those I like to shot, BTW.)
What have I learned during this time?
First: I have finally understood that photography is a strongly personal affair and, after having mastered a few tricks of the trade, there is only one thing to do: get out and shoot. Thus I’m not visiting street-photography-mentorship-intended website anymore. On the contrary, I’m constantly looking for other photography to learn from.
Second: the pictures I either didn’t or refused to shoot challenged (often successfully) my assumption about myself, as did the pictures I shot. To put it short: I got the answer to the question: “how far would you push yourself to take a picture?” and paraphrasing a Katy Perry’s tune, I didn’t like it.
Third: I shoot what my culture sees, not through my eyes. Time after time, reviewing the pictures I took, I became aware of how much my education and experience have influenced the way I select what, to me, deserved to be “frozen” into a still. Thus, to become a better photographer, I still need to learn about life, culture and past.
And now, what’s next?
I’ll probably stop publishing one picture per day or – at least – I’m not compelled to do it anymore. What catches me now is to do some “anthropological” photography, exploring communities and urban cultures.
Let’s see what happens.