so what?

i have a deadjournal. it hasn't been updated in years. i have a livejournal, which i update once a month or less. neither of those blogs really mean anything to me. one has probably been deleted by now, and the other i use more as a means of keeping up with old friends, most of whom i rarely talk to anymore.

i don't want this blog to be like those. it's not going to be about my life, or what classes i'm signing up for.

...or is it?

what do i want this to be?

i'm considering making it a place for me to challenge myself. right now i'm thinking mostly in terms of my photography, but maybe i'll expand that idea a little. maybe i'll take the concept of challenging myself and run with it. maybe this will be where i challenge myself in all areas of my life that mean anything to me. when i say challenge, i mean expand my horizons, i suppose.

that sounds a little vague and vast, so i think i'll just kind of let this blog evolve. if i were to get a little more specific about things, i would say that i will challenge myself to expand my photography skills. mark and i were talking about how i have a basic repertoire for my photos, and i rarely step outside of those boundaries. i take a lot of flower and plant macros, a lot of sunsets, and some long exposures. that's kind of it. i love doing each of these, but i'd like to improve, and i'd like to try new things. i read in a DPS (Digital Photography School) post recently that a good way to improve is to post goals for yourself in a public space such as a blog where you will be encouraged to keep up with the goals you set. i'm hoping that i'll get at least a couple followers that can partake in this, but we'll see. i could also challenge myself academically here by posting bits of papers or research that i'm working on in hopes of getting some feedback or at the very least starting some interesting conversation.

i think my first (well, third) post *might* be a retrospective of my photography skills to see how far i've come, even if it's not that impressive. i might give a few examples of the types of pictures i typically take, and brainstorm how to step outside of my comfort zone.

stay tuned, my non-existent followers!