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here are some trends i am noticing in the world of photography:

artsy things artsy people take pictures of:
1. sunsets/rises
2.  the eyes of animals- close up
3.  food
4.  flowers (dandelions, the unfolding of roses, extreme close-ups)
5.  coffee cups/ latte designs
6.  birds in flight (or just... birds)
7.  skylines
8.  "the details"  "the little things"
9.  guitar necks
10.  mirror self-portraits with camera
11.  people holding hands
12.  babies
13.  big sweeping nature bits
14.  i can't think of a 14 but i wanted to end it on an even number

i, no doubt, do the same thing
 (evidence:
sunset/birds in flight:  two for one!  http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindseying/7595229008/in/photostream
the little things:  or, the "litter" things http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindseying/7588642822/in/photostream)
and will continue.

on one hand- clearly these things are recaptured over and over again ad infintum because they have some inherent beauty or meaning or value to humanity.  no matter how many of these pictures i see, i still get the same fresh rush when i capture one of my own.  it's not so much that i don't enjoy the pictures, i'm just afraid other people will judge them as trite  or... well, that's the other hand...

on the other hand- i have an increasing paranoia developing that every picture i take is extremely cliche.  worn out.  expected.  predictable.  this is an especially sensitive idea to me because my technical skills are not up to par with a gazillion other photographers taking pictures of the same damn thing every day.

but because these pictures still move me and still matter to me, i will continue to snap them and enjoy them when they happen.  at the same time, i hope to move beyond the expected in some way.  i hope to develop a unique voice, somehow.  that leads me to another list:

what makes a photograph effective to a person:
1.  A. the photograph captures something true about a person or
    place that matters to the viewer.  (a situation or an essence)
    B. the photograph captures something innate about the human
    condition (evokes empathy, even if the subject is not
    personal)
2.  the photography is aesthetically pleasing or appealing
3.  both of the above

that seems really simple, right?  i think my goal in photography is something in the third realm.   while i love capturing generally aesthetically pleasing things (angles/color schemes), the pictures i get REALLY excited about are when i feel like i've captured the truth about someONE or someWHERE or someWHEN.  i love the details and sweeping landscapes of life just like anyone else, but for me that only goes so far.  i prefer people as subjects.  or, more accurately, i prefer situations as subjects.

on that note, thinking about moving into any realm of taking pictures for profit makes me a little nervous.  i am afraid my pictures would lose authenticity... that the scenery would be forced or that i wouldn't know the people well enough to capture their truth.  there are ways around it, i suppose.  but i think there's a danger that even pictures of people can be reduced to aesthetical appeal.  yes, you want to make them look good.  you want the colors and lighting to work.

but if that's the whole goal, you've really left them out of it.

anyway, i'm still kneedeep.  today, on the last day of summer school, i rushed home from work and immediately started editing.  i was only somewhat pleased with the results, but that is totally trumped by the euphoria that accompanies everything about the whole process.

i literally stopped after uploading one picture and said out loud to the cats and the empty room,
"i LOVE life."

and it felt good to say it
and really truly mean it.

truth.