We've all written up a bucket list of some sort at least once in our lives. Today I want to share with you my own bucket list, which is exclusively relating to photography.
1 | Photograph Every Continent
As an introduction to one of my online classes at UCF (I believe it was Exercise Prescription for Special Populations), we had to share a goal we wanted to achieve before we die, and this was my answer. The idea of collecting photographs from every part of this beautiful earth just seems so cool, and it forces me to travel abroad. Little souvenirs that I've captured, which I can display proudly on a wall or in a nicely bound photo album. (Does anyone still scrapbook anymore?) I've been out of the country before, but in 2005 I didn't really have a camera of my own. Photos were taken, but I was an angsty, awkward teenager who never smiled in photos, so I pretend those don't exist...
2 | Photograph a military homecoming
These are so exciting! I only recall my dad being deployed once, when I was around 6. (I'm lucky he retired when I was 8.) We didn't have the typical homecoming where we met him where his aircraft carrier docked, but we made signs for when he came back to the house! Although I was young, I remember anticipating his arrival and just being so ecstatic when he came home. Moments like this, it's practically impossible not to capture raw emotion. And this is precisely why I want to photograph one. Not to mention, it's a great feeling knowing that I'll be giving a military family photos to look back on for years to come -- seriously one of my favourite things about what I do!
3 | Capture the aurora borealis
Before I was born, my dad was stationed in Iceland. My parents would often tell me about the northern lights, and we even had a photo of it handing in our dining room wall. They look phenomenal, and I want to see that in person. This earth we live on can really be pretty awesome.
4 | Have my photography published
I know this one will take some time, patience, and a looooot of practice to finally have work that is worthy of being published in a well-known, significant publication. But if -- WHEN -- this happens one day, I will be so ecstatic.
5 | Shoot a destination wedding
Traveling, while doing work? Having a couple planning their wedding away from home, and choosing me as their photographer? It's one of the biggest compliments I could get as a photographer.
6 | Shoot with a film camera
I was born in 1992. My first camera was this (fake) barbie film camera. Seriously. I then upgraded to this Pikachu model that had fancy borders in every photo. My family didn't start using digital cameras until the mid 00's, so I'm definitely not foreign to film cameras. But I've never legitimately shot film, manually, especially as a professional. Film photography is definitely an art I'm not willing to let die out. I try to emulate film in my digital photography... but I think my work will definitely evolve once I start shooting film. (This should honestly be at the top of my bucket list... but this list isn't in any particular order, so I won't bother moving things around haha.)
7 | Photograph a proposal
Again: pure, raw emotion! It's such an important moment, and I would just love love love to be there to capture it! Even though I may feel borderline creepy, lurking in the background with my camera in hand. Worth it.
8 | Capture LIGHTNING
For the life of me, I cannot successfully capture lightning on ANY photo device. I swear, people who don't even really care about photography have taken better lightning photos on their phone. So it is my mission to capture lightning in a photo that looks so great, you'll want to hang it in your house! Or I mean, at least make it your background photo on your phone or something. Or at least, I'll enjoy it. Hehe.
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So follow along! I hope to cross off at least one of these by the end of the year! As I accomplish an item off of my bucket list, I will be creating a blog post about it. :)
I challenge you to make a bucket list of your own! Photography-related or not. It's a great way to think about what goals you really want to accomplish in life, and it's one step closer to attaining them!