Dear Jon,
ah, screw that…
Dude,
You now possess the thing that unleashed the demon within me, my first digital camera.
Now that it’s yours, here’s some pointers:
Try not to drop it, it’ll probably break. Keeping a strap on it will help with that.
Keep the battery charged or at least don’t lose the charger, I don’t have any extras.
Keep the manual close to you and look things up when you are confused.
But, here’s my real advice:
Have fun with it. Take pictures of your friends, your dog, your girlfriend, the empty beer cans on the front porch (yes, I saw them).
Be silly, be stupid, be random. Discover the joy that photography can bring to your life.
You’re already an artist, you know how this all works.
Every once in awhile, take your memory card out and trot into Drug Mart and print out some of them. Show them off to your friends, stick them on your fridge (tuck them behind the pizza coupons) or get yourself some cheap frames from the dollar store. If all else fails, come by the studio and we’ll print out some large ones you can tack on the wall (get your own pushpins).
Email them to your friends, to me, to random people you meet. Plaster them on Facebook and text them when the inclination hits you. Make them into slideshows or Insta-something them.
Just. Have. Fun.
Good, clean, creative fun.
Just don’t be serious. Not yet, anyway.
If seen far too many people get swallowed in the passion and try to make a living at it before they’ve fully learned to appreciate it. And love it. And understand it.
So listen to your old mom and just go out and have fun with it.
Please.
Because I’m not quite sure how to ground a 28 year-old.
Love,
Mom