Week 1- What is photography and what does it mean to me?

So I thought long and hard about this question ‘What is photography?’ and I was trying to think of what I could write, I decided that I would search the meaning on the internet first and then compare it to my very own definition.
Wikipedia’s definition refers to photography as a science but I must disagree. Photography is an art; you must have the eye for it. Photography is about capturing those priceless moments whether it be a babies first smile, the tear that every bride sheds right before she walks down the aisle or that little bump that grows bigger and bigger everyday. Photography means a lot to me, it’s a big passion of mine and I plan to explore the world with my camera so I can capture those idyllic places no one knows about. I want to capture the world in a different perspective. There are so many different paths you can take in photography E.G Weddings, portraiture, wildlife, landscapes etc. I hope to explore each path so I can learn new tricks when it comes to actually taking photos.  Everyone has their own specialty when it comes to photographs and I feel mine is People, I love photographing people and watching their confidence grow as the photo shoot goes on.  I like to capture the natural smiles and laughs, I feel that gives the photo more character rather than a staged awkward pose.  Photography has played a huge part in my life these past 3 years; I’ve developed as a photographer and have managed to get my own business up and running. I am ever so grateful for my amazing Mokau community who offered to get family photos taken to give me more experience with children; if it wasn’t for these families I think photography may have been a one off hobby instead of a passion. Heres a quote that is relatable to every photographer “Photography is an art of observation, it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them” –Elliott Erwitt