Sometimes I look at my old photographs from my early days of photography and get a good chuckle.
Eight years ago, in 2015, I paid two separate visits to Horse Trough Falls in northern White County. I had just picked up my first mirrorless camera 18 months prior. I was learning about long exposures and how F/stops work and probably thought I was doing some stellar photography. Looking back…. it was ok but not great.
The shot above is a classic angle taken in July of ’15. I most certainly overexposed this trip and my editing skills were still rudimentary. Then in November of that year, I had improved markedly but still came out with a mediocre image. I also hadn’t varied much from the “classic” straight-ahead angle.
In the near decade since I have gradually improved and tried my best to come up with more creative shots. On my latest trip just a couple of weeks ago, I encountered a bright sky but knew pretty well how to handle it. I took the classic shot, of course, but I also strayed away and took some shots highlighting the gorgeous cascades beneath.
One interesting thing about my photography over the years has been a shift from landscape/horizontal to portrait/vertical photos. I find the ability to capture more of a foreground allows me to really show the world as I see it. It’s no surprise my favorite image from this return trip is vertical, highlighting a small piece of driftwood atop a cascade.
I still have a long way to go to get my photography skill levels where I want them to be, but I continue working at it and enjoying my hikes along the way. This week, take some time to reflect on something in your life you’ve worked toward. I’ll bet you’ll find you’ve improved.
Have a great week. I’ll see you on the trail…
