xidreamofyou32x
11/11/07, 06:12 PM
So this isn't a poem or lyrics or a story, it's one of the essays I wrote for college applications, about a talent I have and how it relates to my personality. I'd be extremely appreciated if people could read it and tell me what they think.
“A Closer Look”
It’s six o’ clock on a cool October evening at Venice Beach and the sky is bright, motionless, signaling that it’s almost time. As I sit in the sand waiting for the sun to sink down into the water below, a slight breeze sends a stream of mist across my face. Barely noticing, I remain transfixed on the coming moment, my camera ready in my hands. Formally a person with not much interest in this type of activity, the art of photography has transformed me into a young woman I’m not yet fully acquainted with, but would very much like to get to know.
My first encounter with photo taking came a few summers back on a family trip to La Jolla beach. Seeing the natural beauty of the location, I felt compelled to capture it on film. Being a quiet person with not much self confidence for the majority of my life, I usually shyed away from cameras. Now, with my camera’s smooth metal in my palm, I felt in control. Snapping photo after photo of the alluring scenery, from the cave my sister was playing in to the bright mid-day sunlight reflecting on the water, I felt accomplished in forever capturing a moment in time. For one of the first times in my life, I felt confident in something I had created and now my appetite longed for more.
Since that day I am scarcely seen without a camera in my hand. My photography talent has led me to many places I wouldn’t have otherwise ventured and has caused me to seek out new objects to photograph. This newfound talent has, in addition to my increased confidence, broadened my perspective. I often find myself taking more time to examine the smaller aspects of everyday life, objects I passed by a million times before but never really seemed to see. The broken fence surrounding a neighbor’s house, which was once nothing more then a flash in the corner of my eye, has now became a fascinating object of color and texture and has caused me much wonder about the nature of its deterioration. The same thing now happens when I look at people. Before I often found it hard to make friends. I was too quick to judge people and dismissed them before even striking up a conversation. I now take a deeper look at people that stretches far beyond first impression. This practice has given me a few life-long friendships that I am forever grateful for.
The sun is now making it’s way toward the water’s surface. I stand up, amazed by the array of colors that now fill the sky. I press my finger to the camera’s round button and a flash fills the area surrounding me. A moment later the image appears on the screen. I smile, for I’m proud of the art work I’ve just created. I raise my camera again, ready for a second shot. They say a photograph is worth a thousand words and I intend to give every word meaning.
“A Closer Look”
It’s six o’ clock on a cool October evening at Venice Beach and the sky is bright, motionless, signaling that it’s almost time. As I sit in the sand waiting for the sun to sink down into the water below, a slight breeze sends a stream of mist across my face. Barely noticing, I remain transfixed on the coming moment, my camera ready in my hands. Formally a person with not much interest in this type of activity, the art of photography has transformed me into a young woman I’m not yet fully acquainted with, but would very much like to get to know.
My first encounter with photo taking came a few summers back on a family trip to La Jolla beach. Seeing the natural beauty of the location, I felt compelled to capture it on film. Being a quiet person with not much self confidence for the majority of my life, I usually shyed away from cameras. Now, with my camera’s smooth metal in my palm, I felt in control. Snapping photo after photo of the alluring scenery, from the cave my sister was playing in to the bright mid-day sunlight reflecting on the water, I felt accomplished in forever capturing a moment in time. For one of the first times in my life, I felt confident in something I had created and now my appetite longed for more.
Since that day I am scarcely seen without a camera in my hand. My photography talent has led me to many places I wouldn’t have otherwise ventured and has caused me to seek out new objects to photograph. This newfound talent has, in addition to my increased confidence, broadened my perspective. I often find myself taking more time to examine the smaller aspects of everyday life, objects I passed by a million times before but never really seemed to see. The broken fence surrounding a neighbor’s house, which was once nothing more then a flash in the corner of my eye, has now became a fascinating object of color and texture and has caused me much wonder about the nature of its deterioration. The same thing now happens when I look at people. Before I often found it hard to make friends. I was too quick to judge people and dismissed them before even striking up a conversation. I now take a deeper look at people that stretches far beyond first impression. This practice has given me a few life-long friendships that I am forever grateful for.
The sun is now making it’s way toward the water’s surface. I stand up, amazed by the array of colors that now fill the sky. I press my finger to the camera’s round button and a flash fills the area surrounding me. A moment later the image appears on the screen. I smile, for I’m proud of the art work I’ve just created. I raise my camera again, ready for a second shot. They say a photograph is worth a thousand words and I intend to give every word meaning.