Talent or Skill Joshua Tran

For as long as I can remember, my parents have always been insistent on taking photos whenever they got the chance. I used to find it annoying, always having to look at the camera, smile, and pose on demand, but now I realize the value of those photos. Their desire to capture the moment was primarily what sparked my interest in photography. I bought my very first camera my second year of high school, a Canon EOS Rebel T3i, and despite my prior annoyance with photography, after owning a camera, I realized I much preferred being behind the camera rather than in front of it.

Photography essentially became an extension of who I was, an outlet to express myself in a way that I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise. When I came to this revelation, I took my camera everywhere with me and constantly went on photo shoots with friends. I honed my skills and experimented with different photography styles and techniques, with exposure, shutter speed, and aperture, along with many other things, until I developed my own unique style. I discovered that my style, as perfect as it was to me, might not be ideal to others and came to the realization that there are no absolutes in photography. There are general guidelines that most photographers...