Ramblings

If you had me take a photo of you or your family a year ago or even two years ago, you will find I've changed. I am never happy with stagnation. I want to create. I want to do everything better. I'm rarely satisfied with where I am at. And I think I have improved. I hope I continue to improve!

When I couldn't be taking business during the last year, I decided to plow ahead and do what it takes to get certification. This meant doing a thorough review of my work from the previous two years, and picking 20 photos from 20 different photography sessions that could be classified as being good photos. These had to be reviewed by a certification committee and approved. Then I studied the extensive field of photography, mostly via the book "Photography" by London, et al., and also via webinars, and studying of information on various sites.  This is a great book, and I will continue to enjoy it and refer to it in the years to come. It is packed with information and photos to help in explaining everything. After studying, I took the certification exam in July - a 100 question test covering just about every important area in the field of photography. I wasn't sure I'd studied enough, but decided to still go for it at least as a learning experience to help me better prepare for a next time. However, I passed. I am glad, but also want to learn this stuff better! So I'm officially a CPP now - certified professional photographer. One of 6 in the Albuquerque area.

What will this mean? Well, I'm not sure. It proves I've studied the field, and understand the basics of professional photography. It doesn't mean I'm better than everyone out there who hasn't decided to get certified. But I guess it means I've attained a certain level of professionalism. :-)

Meanwhile, I have a desire to create something beautiful, something to cherish, something to enlarge and put on your wall, something to come back to and look at again and again and enjoy as a piece of art. If I can attain this for someone, I have succeeded.