Can you teach an old dog new tricks?

I recently rediscovered an interest in photography. I’d taken courses in high school and even through college and while these were interesting I never really had what you could describe as passion for it.

I liked the technical aspects, the chemicals, the settings, etc but the actual act of producing photos as art eluded me. That is until recently. Like most parents, I have an on again, off again relationship with capturing my kids journey through life. There are times where the timeline has gaps and others where there are an enormous amount of these moments.

Lately however I have this urge to create, not just the usual quickie snapshots of vacations and various school events, but actual pieces that I can look back on with pride. Now of course there is always room in the album for the countless snapshots of every single event in our kids’ lives, but scattered throughout I hope there will be a few gems.

Now I’m a certified gadget junkie so the world of cameras and lenses is a perfect outlet for my disease. I purchased a Nikon D90 which seemed to have the perfect balance of ease of use and room for growth. After copious amounts of research, I have my eye on a few lenses to add to my collection. I realize that the tools are just a small aspect of the process and having the right tools, while important doesn’t guarantee great work. I’m hoping that I can use my existing composition skills and eye for detail to at least make some shots that are at least bearable to look at.

Now if only the kids would sit still without groaning while I spend large amounts of time setting f stops and shutter speeds, I might actually  capture one of those gems…