I think Ken Rockwell said it best:

Call it vision, imagination, or seeing; it all comes down to the same thing: the ability to envision a final result in your mind’s eye, and then to make it so with your tools at hand.

It really isn’t with the gear. I recently acquired a new baby, Deena, a Nikon D90. I definitely see the difference in her shots when compared to my year-old Maxine, a D60. But you know what? I don’t really see a marked improvement in my photography. In fact, there were photos I took two years ago using our Kodak Easyshare point and shoot that looked more WOW than most of my recent photos. It really isn’t in the gear.

Six months after I had the idea for this blog, it is now just really starting to take off. And let me begin with defining the most common photography terms around. First up, photography.

The word photograph was coined from two Greek words: photos meaning “light,” and graphe meaning “to draw” or ”render in lines.” Together, a photograph is meant to be a drawing with light, and the process (and art) by which it is created is what we know as photography.

Indeed, if there is only one thing that I have learned about photography it’s that it is all about light. Light and how much – or little – passes through your device. Light, or the absence of it, determines how the final result is going to be. I think, echoing Ken Rockwell’s thoughts on the subject, that capturing scenes and events starts with your vision. We see it first, and then we capture it. In my case, it doesn’t always come out the way I pictured it. And that’s why I embark on this continuing adventure of learning the ins and outs of photography.

I hope that you join me in this journey. I won’t have all the answers, but I guarantee that I will try my very best to find them. I also encourage you to leave comments and share your understanding of photography concepts, or tell me what your very own questions are. That way, we can build a true knowledge base on the subject for newbies like us. We’ll continue with understanding the basics and we’ll go through those terms that other photography websites throw at you. I’ll also be linking you up to other helpful and fun resources

Thanks for tuning in, and hope to hear from you!