Rachel Keeler

Utata Member

Bio

I've always been interested in photography, and arts of all kinds. Ever since my childhood, I've been drawing, dancing, singing, and playing various instruments. I got my very first camera in 2nd grade. It was a 110mm that I kept until 6th grade when I lost it at camp. In high school I spent some of my waitressing money and bought myself a 35mm with a decent zoom. All automatic. I loved it so much. But film and development is expensive for a broke student, so I was always cautious with my pictures, and rarely experimented. My beloved camera broke my junior year in college when I was horseback riding in Mexico and it fell from my backpack. I bought a replacement to get me by, but it wasn't the same.

This past year, my husband and I got a digital camera, and my pictures finally turned out how I saw them framed in my mind. I was able to shoot freely, without wasting anything, and enjoy experimenting. Our Nikon CoolPix L3 is just a little point-and-shoot, but it served me pretty well. I downloaded the Gimp, so I began trying to develop my post-processing skills as well. A few months ago we splurged and bought a Canon (digital) Rebel. Now I'm stretching myself with the more technical aspect of photography, as I have never taken any classes, and so I am learning as I go.

Photography has rapidly become my favorite hobby. I would love to learn enough to make it a side job, as social workers like myself are not known for their luxurious salaries. I love my day job, but photography (as with the other arts I love) allows me the flexibility and emotional expression that I need.