Crouched down, with my shoes in the mud, I hold the camera up to my eye and squint through the little square opening to see my subject. I adjust the focus and the aperture trying to find the best setting to take the picture. Then, all of a sudden, the sun passes behind the clouds. With my finger just hovering over the button, I pause and wait. On the other side of my lens, the small white flower with its delicate petals peeking out of the dead leaves and dirt remains there, untouched and unaware of my presence, and unaware of how long I wait until I can capture its photograph. Time ticks by and eventually the sun comes back out, and I can take the photo. Once I do, I look down at the camera and look through the dozens of photos I have already taken of the same flower. I find that only two or three out of the dozens of photos I had taken turned out the way I had hoped.
This semester, I decided to take a digital photography course here at UD. In this class, I have learned all about composition, lighting, and color techniques to help enhance the photos that I take. When walking to class or simply walking along the trails, I have been using these techniques to capture images of places around campus. Besides these techniques, I have learned the different ways to categorize photos based on the purpose behind the image itself. There are photos that are solely there to showcase the beauty and aesthetic value of the image, while others can have a moral or ethical issue that is portrayed by the photo. Overall, I have gained a new appreciation for the art of photography, as well as a new way to remind myself to be patient and take my time.
With this semester being my final semester here at UD, I am trying to slow down and appreciate the little things before I graduate. And one thing that has helped me be successful in accomplishing this task is this digital photography class. Not only have I learned how to take photos, but I have learned how to have patience while taking them, and it is okay to make mistakes. I think throughout college, especially as an Honors student, I have pushed myself to do more and keep working towards my goals. I would make plans and try to stick to them. Yet, most of the time, these plans would not end up working out, and I would need to be flexible and adjust. Just like how I tried to take a photo of the flower in the mud, I had to take my time, wait, and find new opportunities. As I look back on my time at UD, a lot of my plans changed, and new opportunities came my way when others did not work out. So, as a reminder to my fellow Honors College students, there is no rush to have it all figured out. Sometimes it is better to be patient and wait until the sun comes out behind the clouds to take that perfect picture.
