Thru My Lens, Ep. 2: Throwback

If you're already on the second blog post, you might as well finish the story...

Okay, so to recap, I'm currently (not literally currently) at The Hundreds Meet & Greet out in Malibu Creek State Park.

So having the opportunity to meet all these amazing photographers really served as a turning point in my life. At some point in that trek, right around when I almost fell while talking to the videographer (see video in the last post), I figured: "Hey, this photography thing could be an awesome hobby!" Well, I mean, I wasn't wrong.

In those few hours, not only did I manage to pick up a gnarly sunburn, but I also learned an insane amount about techniques and insight into the industry. Things as simple as: add a fill flash, shoot in RAW, take your lens cap off. And most valuable of all, made a ton of friends/connections/acquaintances. And if you're not following each other on Instagram, is it even real?

Surprisingly, most of the day wasn't even spent interrogating (probably the wrong word) all 3 of the featured photographers at the event. However, that's not to say the time invested around those 3 didn't have a profound effect on me. Travis Jensen discussed lighting and stylistic preferences. Stephen shed light on his past photoshoots and how he approaches the business aspect. And Gypsy...well, maybe I spent too much time asking her about herself than photography.

No, the most memorable part of the day was connecting with all the other photographers there for the same reason as myself. And some of those photographers have become my go-to shooting buddies! If you're ever on the fence about attending photography events such as this, I would highly suggest you venture out and introduce yourself. Artists like @heychamo, @anothajosh, and @_acoop have truly motivated me to be better and encouraged me to continue shooting.

All-in-all, if there was an overarching message to this, it would be to go outside your comfort zone. I did one day back in 2015 and it changed my life. Sentimental and cheesy? Sure. But true? You be the judge.