“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”

When I was in elementary school, I used to join the senior travel groups with my grandparents and their friends. On every tour, there would be two to three people lagging behind the group to take photos with their huge cameras and fancy pieces of equipment. Sometimes, they would show me the photos they have taken. That was probably when I found something so compelling about photography that I can’t quite put into words; photography can capture beautiful things in ordinary places and make those moments last forever. As I never really got to explore the realm of photography, I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to pursue a new interest!

To begin with, I started by doing research on photography terminology while taking notes along the way. After gaining a little more understanding of photography, I did more specific research on the exposure triangle, which is the relationship between aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. During the process, I also experimented around with the functions of the camera. (see journal below)

With my dad’s old camera, I began by taking photos in the park beside my house. Later, I carried it further by visiting Chaishan (Monkey Mountain), Zhongzhiguan Trail in Maolin, and Yushan National Park.

To display my projects, I also started an Instagram account (@claire_w96j0_) dedicated to photography. In this account, I periodically posted photos hoping to touch people’s hearts through the beauty of nature. As some photos received criticism from my virtuoso friends, I also kept them in mind so I can make improvements next time.

P.S. Most people may not have noticed it, but if “w96j0_” is typed on a zhuyin keyboard, it will spell “Taiwan”!

Throughout this CAS experience, it blew my mind how much work the human eye does automatically and how much work I have to do to make people see the world through my eyes. It was exhausting to visit so many destinations at once, but in the end, all of it was worth it. Capturing the compelling beauty of nature was an enriching experience, and I was surprised by how many mundane yet beautiful things I had never cared to look at before. I hope to continue photography as a lifetime hobby.