My Future...

Eight years ago or so I stole my dad's digital camera and went out on one of my adventures with a few friend. A driver's license was still three years off but we were the local "bike gang" that roamed the streets all hours, day or night. So we took our bikes out and went riding, down behind the street hockey rink there was a set of bike trails that we rode quite often. the trails were on the property of a man, who in our young minds was a mad man, who rode ATVs and Dirt Bikes through the woods and on the streets and all over the place. He built bridges and obstacles in the woods for his own entertainment. Since the area I live in is heavily populated these woods were also a dumping ground for everything from an old couch that smelled very strongly of cat urine to your generic dented steel rim but for some reason every time i took my bike out past that area my eyes would lock onto one "frame" and i had to get a camera and take that picture, that is just what i did with my dad's camera. I snapped the shot and the deed was done, i took the camera home, my dad plugged the camera in, opened the image in Photoshop 6 i think it was, (which makes no sense because he was not a digital artist at the time he is a traditional photographer) when he saw the image he said "Jared that is a good shot." and that was all i needed, photography was my hobby from then on.

I won awards in photography in my senior year of High School and was told by my photography teacher that if i did not major in College that she would hunt me down. My first semester At Mccc i majored in Criminal Justice, second semester Computer Graphics and fifth untill present Web Design. I love to go out with my Rebel XTi as often as possible and just go for a drive looking for an old abandoned building to shoot even if I know its there and have shot it before I Will Shoot It Again. I am not afraid to take the same picture of something if i know i can improve on the previous shot, even if the new shot isn't as good as the one before i just want to learn.

Recently I've grown tired of my major again and was convinced by a friend of mine who goes to The Art Institute of Philadelphia to go in and have a meeting with the Assistant of Admissions. At the meeting the woman tried her damnedest to figure out why i refuse to major in something i love so much. She just didnt understand that I am cautious because i don't want to grow tired of Photography like I have with every other major i've had. In taking a tour of the school and after a bit of talking she convinced me that when i apply i should apply as a Photography major, so i did. The other day i recieved my acceptance letter in the mail and next fall will finally be attending school as a Photo Major. I am excited and still a bit nervous that this will ruin my love but i am taking the chance anyway.

Since i love my hobby so much i only see it as a hobby, i have sold a few shots but never really advertise my work because i think of it as mine and only mine. When i finally get a job as a photographer i would love to shoot sports, mainly motocross and mountain biking, but just to be a sports photographer in general would be perfect for me. I do enjoy taking artistic shots of nature and bands so really any job involving photography will be alright as long as it has nothing to do with fashion, those people make me sick.