Have you ever woken up around 6 in the morning to watch the sunrise on the beach? I swear, it'll take your breath away. My cousin and I agreed to set our alarms to six (okay, I set mine to 6:10--a girl needs her beauty sleep!) and head to the sand to willingly be blinded by the sunlight (I was dying to get some lovely pictures of the sunrise!). However, not being a morning person, I softly heard the ringing of my alarm, glanced at the clock, and shut it off. Unfortunately, once awake I couldn't fall back asleep! So Angelina--my cousin--and I ended up crashing into each other as we checked to see if the other was awake. Gathering my equipment as my other cousin and two friends woke up, all five of us strolled towards the sea--the warm, salty air hitting us as we came closer. I quickly got out my camera (tip: the sun does not wait for anyone) and waited. Seeing the sun peak through the building and rise from behind the tall palm trees made me feel so tranquil. I bet it captivated all five of us with its' slow beauty.
After a couple shots of it rising, a man with thin, white hair approached me. Turns out, he was a wildlife photographer, and he gave me a few pointers on animals and framing! So thank you, fellow photographer! Hopefully my shots do him justice. This was the first time, strangely, that I felt myself to be considered a photographer. You can take a photography class, but that doesn't necessarily deem you that label--you have to create it for yourself and work on it. One of the first ideas to become a photographer, I believe, is to dream. But, one of the first steps is to put that dream into action.
“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” — Dorothea Lange