Beginning

I suppose the question should be ask, the Beginning of what?
The answer could relate to any number of things.  This blog, for one.

Now that we are in 2016, I look back to 2015 and can see several new beginnings for me.

I began 2015 by traveling to Iceland in January, my first time there and the beginning of a love for that country.
Iceland was spectacular. The weather was cold and snowy, which was wonderful, and the experience was incredible.
    Watch the barren landscapes slip by your windows as you drive over roads that have snow flowing
            mere inches over them as they are drifted by the winds.
    See the aurora, gray to the eye, move over your head on a clear, star-cast night, and see the emerald
            glow on your camera's LCD when you freeze time forever in a photograph.
    Feel the magnificent power of Gullfoss, thundering millions of gallons of water over its multi-
            tiered falls, as the waters hammer through the wind and down into the gorge that it has carved
            for itself.
    Lean into the wind and the biting snow as you walk along the volcanic black beaches, shielding
            your camera and bracing yourself to capture the churning gray waters pounding against the
            basalt pillars that nature has formed.

It was a tremendous experience and I cannot wait to go there again.

2015 saw the beginnings of professional photography for me, as I have begun to move into real estate photography.  I remember the night I practiced in my home, and frustrated myself with the results I saw.  I have read, studied, practiced, and continue to do so, to refine technique and have a better eye for composition.
It has been a real enjoyment, though confusing at times, to learn how to make sure "verticals are vertical", an ongoing refrain within the real estate/architectural community. I've learned about light temperatures and how to counter them, how do lead an eye through a space with a pleasing composition, how to properly use multiple flashes to light a space properly, and how to use Photoshop to process images for solid results.

2015 had many new beginnings, some endings, and I was sad to see it go. It is exciting to consider what new beginnings await all of us in 2016!