I have a close friend who has recently developed a great interest in photography.  She wrote to me recently asking about a new camera she had acquired and whether I thought it would help her improve her work.  My response was, yes it is a good camera, but what is it that you want to photograph?  I told her about an interview I had done with Phil Borges and how it was that he developed his entire photographic career by doing something a teacher suggested that he try.  The teacher told him to find a bulletin board of good size and put it somewhere in his house that he would see every day.  The teacher said that he should start cutting out photographs that he liked and put them on the bulletin board.  Phil did this for some weeks.  Then he noticed that almost all of the photographs were of people.  In other words, Phil preferred portraits, it was what he liked.  From there his magnificent photographs of indigenous peoples from throughout the world has not only made his career, but has helped countless thousands of people whose cultures are in danger of disappearing.

So, photography is about what we like, not what others like, but what we like.

My interests are in nature.  I love animals and I love the beauty of the natural world.  It is my passion.  And knowing that, I pursue it in many ways.

And sometimes I find special light that fulfills my passion.  As in this work, Bear on Beach.

But other subjects also peek my interest, like this one, just a shot taken in a market in Ecuador, I liked the colors and the textures.

Or, something quite different, just a moment in time while in Scotland, when the fires were burning on a cold morning.

Or, another cold day when the light and the gentle earth showed me just how beautiful my beloved Scotland can be.

Or, totally different and thousands of miles away, how the gentle light can enhance the view of a Zebra on the plain.

Or, in this shot, when the action of the Red-billed Tropic Bird was too much to resist as I walked along one of the islands in the Galapagos.

The point being, that my interests are in nature photography, not portraits, not city scapes, not high key stuff, just simple nature photographs.

But, you see, my interests are mine.  Yours may be different and that is perfectly OK.  For, the real magic in the photographic art form is finding our unique self and then expressing as best we can in our own special way.

I am reminded of the Oriental way of thinking.  An act is done before the act occurs.  Meaning that we create the photograph before the shutter is pressed.  We see it first in our mind.

Your first step in improving your photography should be to answer the question: “What is it that I like.”

Then, the quest begins, and it must be done with passion and love.  For our best work is the product of our time and passion.  No one should ever pass by the opportunity to pursue what one loves most.

And, BTW, if you want to see examples of what others do with their photography and their passion, stop by Photo Travel Review.  I am amazed when I read the stories of others and how they have shaped their lives through travel and photography.