A Well Documented Year

I learned a great many things these past ten months and one of my favorite lessons has to do with the thousands of pictures I took.  I've been here about 300 days and I have about 2,000 pictures which makes about seven photos per day.  Of course, I took more pictures on some days than others (I'm looking at you, Macchu Picchu) but that's seven more than I have ever been accustomed to taking of daily life activities like say, eating lunch.  But guess what: I love all my pictures.  This new thing had to come over quite a few obstacles to become one of my favorite new things and I will outline them for your reading pleasure now.

 One of my all time favorites from the continent.  Aguas Calientes, Perú. 

First.  My generation has a problem with public overexposure.  The fact that I am even writing this on the internet is Exhibit A.  So personal photo myth #1 that I used to believe is that since so many people my age take pics, there is no need for me to worry about it.  This is still partly true, in that I still rely on my peers to document drunken revelries, and let's face it, no party these days is complete without gems like this to remember them by: 

Thank you, McSnicks, party documenter extraordinaire.

Which leads me to myth #2, that you have to put every photo you take on the internet.  Well, you don't.  I have quite a few pics on fbook but not all of them.  This is an unknown concept for some of my peers.

Myth #3 was that you can't take good photos with little point and shoots.  It's sort of astonishing to me that I ever thought this.  These things cost like, $200 and I thought you couldn't take great photos without one of the even more expensive ones?  Well, I was wrong, and before you people with really nice cameras jump out of your seats to tell me about how great your Nikon 30093.74 gamma that transforms into an x-wing is, let me say that I'm sure it is and I'm not denying the shots that come out of those cameras.  But having really expensive stuff around makes me nervous and I learned how to use my little canon and could not be more pleased with it.  Just look at THIS:

I am very aware that it is impossible to take a bad photo of penguins.  

 The final and fourth myth was the thought that since I am not a (capital P) Photographer, I have no business being creative about photos on my little canon (goes along with myth #3).  I feel kind of dumb about admitting all this, it all sounds really stupid now.  Since when have I, Erin, who can name 50 breeds of dogs in four minutes, been afraid of being creative without permission?  And who isn't giving their permission, anyway?  Jeez.  Well, I got over that and frequently go rule-of-thirds crazy.  Yes, I took a photo of raindrops on grass and yes, I like it. 

Another souvenir from a great walk.

 I have to give some credit here, though.  I would not have come to this hobby (is that the right word?) on my own.  Left to my own devices, I would probably still think that travel photos can't be anything other than bad shots of me smiling in front of things, which are still definitely necessary, but not the only possibility (this is all so obvious to me now).  So, thank you to my trusty travel buddy and great friend, Jac.  Who herself has a beautiful photo blog here.  She takes all her photos with a "little Canon", although it is a little nicer than mine, it isn't one of the crazy ones and she knows nothing about lenses.  She will tell you that she only takes good pictures because she takes so many, and she certainly does.  But maybe that's just it.  A good (lower case p) photographer has got to be prolific.  And darned if I'm not trying, or at least trying harder than I was ten months ago.  

The famous Jac, camera safely in hand.