I first got into photography taking pictures of birds in my yard with a little toy camera. With that camera I began experimenting with the exposure. Then I started taking pictures with an old phone that had limited settings. During this class I started changing more advanced settings on a DSLR camera. 

I like to take pictures of wildlife and airplanes. Recently, I have become interested in taking photos with converging lines and vanishing points. I’ve also started paying attention to the camera aperture and how that influences the effect the photo has on the viewer. I think it’s good to take pictures of any special moment because having visual snapshots can strengthen memories.

Art is something that’s very important to me. I’ve been drawing as long as I can remember, I love coming up with stories and characters and writing at least some of it out. I used to think that photography was something different from art. But I’ve learned that while photography is freezing one specific moment in time, it’s up to me how I frame and compose my shots, just like it’s up to me to choose what my drawings look like. Art isn’t just the action of making something, it’s how you as a person interpret and create that something.

Photography is also important to me because I’ve always loved things like plants and animals and other natural things, and photography lets me express that love and wonder exactly how it is, while still being creative and putting my personal touch into it.

My name is Mirabelle and I'm 14 years old. This is only my second photography class but I have learned so much. I wanted to find a photography style that I liked in this class since I already knew the basics of how a camera worked. This class gave me many opportunities to experiment with different types of style and editing techniques. I'm excited to further my photography. I would like to explore more about putting emotion and deeper meaning into my photography. Black and white photography is one of the styles I have gravitated towards along with portrait photography.