Stressed Out?
Yes, like many college students I have those stressful days when everything seems to be going wrong. However, I have found something that helps relieve my stress and opens a whole new world to me.
Photography
I was always a visual child. My mother had put me in all sorts of art and drawing classes and I was always making or creating something. I became interested in photography when I was 16-years-old. One of my older brothers had a nice SLR (single lens reflex) camera that he never used. So, I started taking candids of my family and of things that interested me. At the time I was very interested in nature and B&W photography.
One of my art teachers had told me of a photography program at Tulsa Technology Center; she encouraged me to apply. The only thing was you had to have a portfolio in order to be accepted. I was nervous because I didn’t have a portfolio and I didn’t have any teaching in photography. However, I decided I would give it a shot. I started taking pictures of everything and used my background in art to help create exciting compositions for my first portfolio.
After being accepted at TTC, I learned the basics of photography and how to develop and print your own photos. Through this experience, I learned that photography can be relaxing and a stress reliever. Yes, you can be very technical and precise when photographing but you can also be creative and care-free. When I am taking photos I see the world in a different perspective. I want to capture moments and feelings that tell a story. I want to show others what I see through the lens.
Photography can be a very powerful form of communication. It’s sometimes difficult to explain how photography makes me feel but all I know is that it is a very satisfying and rewarding experience that helps me release my stress. So if you are feeling stressed out, try taking some creative photos. Who knows? It might work for you too.
January 29th, 2006 at 9:52 pm
I never thought of using photograhy as a stress reliever. I’ll have to think of that next time. I just got a digital camera before I went on my internship last summer. It took both video and still shots, but I never used the video part. I liked taking still shots better. Of course, I was in LA so there was a lot of stuff to take pictues of.
February 7th, 2006 at 2:58 pm
It’s really nice you found photography as a way to relieve stress. It will be interesting to learn more about photography as you continue your blog. Good Luck.
March 28th, 2006 at 8:09 pm
I get very stressed out at times. Even more so around dead week! So I could definantly use this advice to calm my stress in other ways. Good blog, good advice! By the way, I’ve seen your pictures and you do a wonderful job!
Keep up the great work!