Hello lovely humans! Welcome to the writer space of Blink Photography Company. Our mission here is to not only to entertain, but to also educate other photographers and videographers with similar tastes. I simply love to take photographs, but it has taken me years to finally understand the art and scientific part behind it. I took a Photography course in college and not only enjoyed it, but I excelled in it! Until this point I really didn't understand the process behind taking an influential photo that told a detailed story and then learn how to edit it using advanced editing software. This is where the birth of Blink Photography Company took place. The company wouldn't actually "become a thing" until four years later, but I knew at this time in my life that this is exactly what I wanted to do.
"The Beginning of My Photographers Journey"
"The beginning" seems a little dramatic, but hey, it's catchy! Hi, I'm Hannah, the photographer and owner of Blink Photography Company. My first memories of taking photographs and realizing that I really enjoyed it was when I was about ten-years-old. My first "cameras" that I remember using were my mothers ancient RCA camcorder and pharmacy disposable cameras... you know, the ones that you had to wind up. Fun times. I spent a lot of time taking what many would consider useless videos on the camcorder and many photos on the disposable cameras, but to me they were gold. I enjoyed myself more with doing my newfound hobby than I did with anything else. As the years went on, the RCA camcorder gave up on me and the disposable cameras were too much of a hassle. This is when I got the most awesome gift ever... a Canon point-and-shoot camera. It was $99 at the time, which seemed really, really expensive to a 12-year old who was job-less. This was the "ultimate" piece of camera equipment to me at the time. I used and abused many, many packs of AA batteries (yes, it ran on solely batteries). I thought it was just so amazing that SD cards could hold so many photos and videos. I remember taking a family vacation and photographing and taking videos with my sister basically the whole entire trip (I wish I still had the SD cards). As years went on and AA batteries were burned out, my little point-and-shoot camera starting producing errors. My freshman year of high school, I made another "big purchase." I remember going to Sam's Club with my mother to purchase the Canon PowerShot SX500 bundle (I actually saved a lot of money). This powerful little piece of equipment featured 30x zoom and 16 MP, I didn't even know what that was at the time. This was exactly the year that I signed up for Pinterest and started doing research on how to take really good photographs. I had acquired many pins within the first year under my 'Photography' board. I continued to take photos and videos with that camera for four years after purchase. During those four years. I learned more than I ever had about the art and technique of photography up until that point. My family took the most incredible vacation we had ever been on my senior year of high school and I finally got to get a taste of what "real travel" was like. I knew in previous years that I really wanted to travel, but I didn't realize that I would enjoy it as much as I did. Years later, I still consider that the most epic vacation ever.
Montana & Wyoming
Yes, we went to Montana and Wyoming. Now, do you understand why I think that trip was so amazing?! It was absolutely incredible! Not only did I literally love the travel side of it (I literally planned the whole entire itinerary), I was on a photographers "high." This is when I took some of the most awesome photographs in my entire life, and all on my Canon PowerShot.
You don't need a multi-thousand dollar camera to capture views like this! I thought I was just the coolest photographer ever with my little Canon PowerShot. I felt like a National Geographic travel photographer, which is still, by the way, my dream job. *This shot above is literally just driving down the road near Bozeman. Incredible.
There are SO many photos that I could share with you on here, but to keep you from being bored, I'll limit it to two. This photo above was taken in Northern Montana. I could not believe my eyes when I seen the shimmering blue water. Honestly, it was a dream come true. I had seen photos like that on Pinterest but never thought I would actually get to experience it! What a blessing!
During this trip, I caught the travel bug, as to be expected, and, I felt so encouraged as an amateur photographer. Never before had I felt like my images were "good" or "impressive." During this trip, and years of prior learning, I took a huge leap forward in my journey toward becoming a professional photographer.
The DSLR that Changed My Life
Shortly after the return home from our amazing trip, I was gifted with another camera and one that I am still very grateful for until this day: The Nikon D3400. Now, the Nikon D3400 is quite outdated, but I still use it on a regular basis. I am a firm believer that the power of "great photography" lies behind the photographer and his/her abilities, rather than the overall price of the camera itself. That being said, if you're reading this and wanting to get started in photography, I highly recommend purchasing a camera within your budget and not overspending. This way you will allow yourself time to grow in your knowledge as a photographer and to really find out if photography is your niche or not. I personally know of individuals who have spend thousands of dollars on camera equipment that are no longer shooting.
My Nikon D3400 came with a kit lens, 18-55mm, and a telephoto lens, 70-300mm. I am so happy that I also got the 70-300mm... that's because it has allowed me to capture photos like this:
Solar Eclipse at 300mm
1/160sec f/11 ISO400
Bumble Bee at 300mm
1/1000 sec. f/7.1 ISO200
Now, I know what some will say: " Anybody could take a photo like that!"
Sure, some will say that, but I am still proud of all my work, even if it was taken years ago. I have grown tremendously in my knowledge of photography, and am still learning! I have taken classes and watched many videos studying and learning about the art of photography and how cameras work. If you understand how the camera works as a unit with many, many features, then you will be able to take great photos! You can't just waltz up to a subject and snap a photo, it takes some aforethought.
Now
I loved photography so much I decided to create a business in 2021. I wanted to be able to provide various services to rural communities in my area while also educating people worldwide on my site. Coming up with a name was super hard, but the name "Blink Photography Co." just stuck. I didn't want to name after myself-- I had big inspirations. I know some of you may be wondering if this is a full-time gig for me, and the answer is yes. However, this isn't my only job. At the time of writing this blog post, I am also currently working as a nurse. I have big aspirations of being able to make a substantial, sustainable income with Blink Photography Co and quit my career as an nurse. (Shameless plugin: Please help me achieve that goal by supporting the business.)
Since the start of the business, I recently got married to the most wonderful man in all the world, and now we both attribute to the business portfolio! We are continuing to both work our jobs and also work on the business. We appreciate all those who have helped and continue to help support our business and the many hours, days, weeks we have contributed to making this possible.
The Moral of the Story
Becoming a photographer is a wonderful journey that anyone can embark on. All you need is a camera and a passion for capturing moments. You don't need to have a degree or experience to start. Just experiment with your camera and find your own style. Practice makes perfect, so don't be afraid to take lots of pictures and learn from your mistakes. Seek inspiration from other photographers, join online communities, and attend workshops to continue improving. Remember, photography is about capturing memories, so have fun and enjoy the process!
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