03/04/2021
I stumbled across an old cd-r a few days ago that held a collection of photographs. Not just any collection of photographs, they were the first photos I took with my very first DSLR camera, my Nikon D80. It would be an understatement to say that I didn't know much about photography at the time. I didn't know ANYTHING about photography. So these photos represent those earliest of experiments, and the excitement of new possibilities.
I'm a little envious of "2008 Me." Not only was he younger and lighter and a lot better looking, he was filled with the passion and wonder that comes with discovering the infinite possibilities a "real" camera had to offer. That feeling is a fleeting one, and while it comes around every so often, with a new piece of gear or a better understanding of a new technique, it rarely reaches the heights of that first moment, when everything you've seen before is suddenly new again.
It's that awe, that sense of discovery, that pushes us to learn. It's an important means of growth as a photographer, when suddenly things are viewed through a new lens, whether it's a telephoto that makes an ant the size of a horse, or a super wide angle that squeezes the world into box. Seeing the things around us with new "eyes" opens a wealth of possibilities, and no one can resist capturing everything they possibly can.
That's a long, poetic way of saying I took a lot sh*tty photos. And when I say sh*tty, I mean really bad. Terrible. Like, "why did I save this?" bad. There was definitely a "have camera, will travel" mentality, and boy did I use it. I took photos of everything.
Hey look, a rock! *click*
Look at that tree! *click*
A bug! *click click click*
One of the things I was rather enamored with was the fact that I could take photos AT NIGHT. . Long exposures were the holy grail to a kid who's entire photographic history consisted of a Smurfs camera with a spring-loaded shutter and Kodak Fun-Saver disposable cameras. One of the first things I did with my new D80 was hit the town. The cd-r I found consisted of a folder filled with those early attempts at night-time neon sign photography. And they didn't go well.
One of those attempts was at the Bun N Barrel, an old-fashioned food joint and a holdout from a time when architecture was arguably much more interesting. Attached is one of those photos. The best one from that location, to be honest. And yes, as I've stated before, it's awful. That's no mystery. But what is a bit of a head-scratcher is that, well, I never went back. Sure, at that time, it was full speed ahead, no looking back, but why not later?
It was something I decided to rectify. So last night, I returned to the Bun N Barrel, 13 years (and a bit more experience) later. My drive there was a nervous one. What would I find when I got there? Sure, Google Maps showed it still existed, but what shape would it be in? Would it be worth photographing? What about the signs? The lights? That guy that used to shout at the telephone pole? Would they all still be there?
Luckily, the place surprisingly looks just as good as it ever did. With the exception of a really ugly van sitting out front (I'm sorry Bun n Barrel, if you're reading this, park it in the back). It completely threw off the composition and forced me to get quite a bit closer to the building than I intended to. Even still, thanks to a full frame and super wide lens (neither of which I had in 2008) I still think I got a fun shot out of it.
Will it win any awards? Probably not. It's not the best thing out there, but I owed it to "2008 Me" to give it another try and maybe do it some justice. I like it, hopefully you do to. Maybe I'll dig through some more old photos and go at them Quantum Leap-style "making right what once went wrong."
If you're still reading this, thanks for sticking around to the end.
