Years ago I was given a DSLR as a gift that I would take on annual vacations. Unfortunately, I never took the time to fully understand all the capabilities available - it was a glorified point-and-shoot, a challenge left untouched for the moment.
I’ve always enjoyed personal challenges and achievements. One of those challenges grew out of my interest in sea life. I was intrigued by it and wanted to experience the world from their perspective. To that end, I received my Open Water Scuba certification and quickly latched on to that. I soon followed up by obtaining my Advanced Open Water Diver and Enriched Air (Nitrox) Diver certifications which allowed me a new view of the world.
In 2013, I sought another new challenge, the sky. I took an Introductory Flight out of Norwood, MA. The instructor told me the weather was not the best as there were clouds rolling in and turbulence noted in the area. Too excited to call it quits, we did the preflight, took off, filed for IFR in the air, and proceeded through the clouds. I was hooked. Upon landing, I purchased all the materials necessary to prepare for a Private Pilot License; and, a year later, I was licensed accordingly.
All seemed well until life threw me a curve ball. In July 2017, I had a medical scare which temporarily suspended my medical certificate, which is a requirement for flight. Once again, I needed a new challenge. One night I noticed that DSLR just sitting there, untouched for months. The curiosity spun out of control. Fast forward to present day - I’ve upgraded my equipment twice and am now shooting on a full frame camera body and constantly pushing myself to learn functions, techniques, and editing as often as possible.
Seeing the world from multiple perspectives has reshaped my vision of what was once linear; constantly looking out for the most minute details. What started out as a tool to document vacations, has turned from a hobby to an obsession, and is now with me at all times. I've started to appreciate the world around me a bit differently, through a different lens - that of the DSLR.
