These days, anyone can take a photo thanks to the technology in our back pockets. However, I’ve always viewed “photography” in more specific terms than just snapping a pic on ones phone. It has more to do with knowing how to manipulate the settings on whatever device you’re using and a certain level of backroom editing after the fact, if necessary, to achieve a more deliberate outcome. The more advanced the camera, the more knowledge and skill is required to reach the desired effect, which leaves us with my current status.

While there is the proverbial “it’s like riding a bike” and you never forget, there are certain details and innate skills which need to be refreshed in order to return oneself to the expert of the past. I’ve been having to re-learn certain aspects of just how my camera works, under which menu configuration options are located, and just what that button does. And then you get into the software and Lightroom has certainly come a long way since I used it last

The low stakes of photographing new friends during a night out gives me the opportunity to re-learn everything I once knew, without the pressures of deadlines or certain expectations. That said, I’m not exactly publishing anything, but folks do like that extra quality for their social media accounts. The next step is to move out from the bar and and take some landscapes around town, or see if anyone is willing to pose for something more particular.