These are my confessions

I have a confession. I LOVE photography. Not just love it, no, i ADORE it. I have for a really long time; it’s just lately that i’ve become a lot more serious about (and by lately, i mean in the past five years or so). My favorite things to take pictures of are plants and animals. I would die to be a wild life photographer! I want to swim with dolphins and play with wolves and be able to capture things that other people can’t.

This is where my dream shatters. It’s hard to take a picture from a different angle that hasn’t been done, because it’s almost always been done. Sure, you can put your own unique twist on it, but it’s not going to guarantee you a spot in National Geographic magazine. Too many people today are picture takers (i refuse to call them photographers because they aren’t). As someone put it so nicely to me today, “Go for it. Be a photographer. Everyone else is.” How do you stand out in crowd full of people?

Another reason i haven’t pursued this dream is because i am terribly afraid of what others might think. I do have friends that are professional photographers. My last want is for them to think i’m copying them or just doing what they’re doing (kind of going back the “everyone else is doing it” quote). My wonderful husband would love nothing more than for me to take a flying leap into the unknown. I’m an overtly withdrawn person. I don’t take leaps. I prefer to stay in my own sheltered world where there aren’t any risks and i don’t have to worry about failing. I’ve almost literally given up on any dreams i may have once had because of my own misgivings.

But not today. Today i have made the commitment to follow my dreams. I am going to pursue my dream of photography. I will find a way to stand out in a room full of other people. I’m not going to hide because i’m afraid of what others are going to say. Yes, other people’s opinions matter to me, but i will not let them dictate what i can and can not do!

My name is Victoria Hershman. I love to take pictures of wild animals and plants, as well as of people because they tend to have a while side as well. Starting today, i’m going to pursue my dreams instead of squashing them.

What are your confessions?