Never Imitate

I love looking at photography. I could go online and just scroll through pictures for hours, but the more I look at other peoples work, the more I wish my photography was just like theirs. I want to take pictures like theirs and know their technique. What i've found out now though, from reading about what Ken Rockwell has to say on http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/basics.htm is that you should never imitate.
"Leading photographers never go out with navigational coordinates attempting to find the same location some other shooter used before.

Screw convention. It's the fastest way to boring images. Don't ever try to shoot anything based on what you think might play well in a contest or might be something other people might like.
Follow your own passion and excitement. Shoot what excites you. If you can capture your own excitement, you just got a good image."
The best picture you will ever get is the one that inspires you and excites you! the photographer. If you are only taking the pictures that you take for the approval of others and of their interest, your never going to love your own work.
I don't think all great photos are ones that include the golden spiral, or are aligned according to a grid and perfectly horizontal or vertical. I think that the best ones are ones that tell a story and have a memory behind it.
( https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1601467975623&set=a.1601459735417.72902.1803808613&type=3&theater )

This photo was taken by a girl I used to go to school with. It doesn't follow the golden spiral or any of those rules, and it might be blurry in some parts, but it captures a memory. You get the feel of what kind of night it was and the mood of the atmosphere. The streaks of light shows you the movement and the blurry aspects of the people in the background. There is still a subject and you know what part of the picture it is. She stands out in the bright red dress and she's the only part of the picture in focus. 
These are the types of pictures I want to take and the kind of moments I want to capture. But... I also want it to be my own. I don't want to copy this photographer or any other. My pictures will be unique in themselves.

You Can't Go Back
"As you learn to be more observant, the more you'll realize how nothing stays the same, even for a minute."

Second Attempt

today I went around my school taking pictures. I was focusing on finding a subject and focal point in the pictures I was taking. 

I'm still having trouble finding subjects to take pictures of and making it look appealing and interesting, with angles, focus, and colours, but I got a couple good shots for the small variety of subjects and scenery around my school. These two pictures are my favourite out of the shots I took today...

First Attempt

just some scenery shots, playing around with the camera, effects, and colour. 

comments would be greatly appreciated. is there anything that draws you to the picture? what do you not like? let me know!

Intro To Me

i am abby.
i have never had a blog before and really the only reason i have one now is because of my Bible class in highschool. our assignment is to learn whatever we want. we need to pick a topic, set a goal, start learning, and occasionally write about it... here, on a blog. so here it goes... 
i have chosen photography for my project. i've always liked taking photos and looking at them and thinking about why the photographer took the picture that he/she did. i believe that pictures say a lot, about who the photographer is and what inspires them and motivates them. my goal for this project is to improve and advance in the photography area. i want to be able to take a picture and know why it's good, or why it isn't and be able to improve it; with different angles, lighting, contrast, colour, shapes, etc. good photography takes time and practice, and that's why i'm going to spend my time doing for this semester, and by the end of it i want to build a portfolio with some of my best shots from this semester.
i think i like photography so much because i like art and being creative. i think photography and art can be really inspiring and can tell you a story just by looking at it and examining the details. but the great thing about it is that there is no wrong story. there is no answer key. you can relate it to your life, or make something up, it is now yours to interpret.
so now, my project begins, i will be posting photos every so often, feel free to share advice, criticize, and give me some feedback. i would really appreciate it! thank you :D