Why Photography?

I’ve figured that yes, I really enjoy the topics Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. These two fields are design-y in the very technical sense. After learning a bunch of concepts and equations and spending a bit of time applying them, you realize that hey, you can make some cool things! So those two fields are really a means to an end

• they allow you to create things.

Going through the process is great, but the end result is awesome as well. At the end of the everything, you have something that you’ve created and can be happy about. For me, I’ve also been extremely curious about the design creating process; I’ve always wondered - how can I replicate that process to create the same thing?

My mostly unfinished undergraduate career in Computer Engineering has answered that for a lot of software and hardware related topics, so the hunger for those answers has spilled into other parts of my life. So really, photography is another way to satify my own hunger for learning how to create something. In this case, it’s how to create photographs that are asthetically pleasing to my own eye.

I do mention that I’m terrible at most of the traditional fine art fields. While most engineering/compsci students always say this jokingly, its worth mentioning that I do have a decent eye for things. Although I can appreciate the level of quality of a particular animation, graphic design, or painting, I have an extremely difficult time creating anything that doesn’t serve a function. Frustratingly, I keep trying anyways, often with minimal results.

Ah, some reassurance.

We all need a certain level of reassurance at some point; photography provides me with that comfortable reassurance that I’m at least capable of capturing something that looks asthetically pleasing:

Variety

Although fussing with photography equipment can be extremely technical - most of photography can still be very fluid. In a way it forces me to exercise the non-logical part of my brain that I normally don’t think about. Just take the damn picture and stop worrying about things. If the picture comes out the way you wanted it to, awesome. If not, adjust, compose and try again.

It brings a refreshing change of pace to my normal routine and mindset. Sources of inspiration come from mysterious places, so its worth it (and maybe required) to broaden my hobbies a bit.