minding my nest

practicing the art of an ordinary life

  • Home
  • Blog
  • 2025 Desktop Calendars
  • Lightroom Tutorials
  • Online classes
  • Class Login

The Photographer I Have Become

Ten years ago today I looked through the viewfinder of my Canon EOS Rebel XS, pressed the shutter button, and captured this photograph.

becoming a photographer

This photo marks the beginning of my first photography 365 project which basically means taking one photo every day for an entire year.

At the time I was a relatively new photographer looking for a way to improve my photography. And there is no better way to learn a craft than to practice it everyday. Which is what I did.

becoming a photographer

If you would like to take a little walk down memory lane with me, you can see all my photos from that project in my 2013 Project 365 Flickr album.

Looking back at those photos just gives me all the feels. Not only for the little snippets of my life that I managed to capture that year, but also because in those photos I can see the evidence of the photographer I was becoming.

The photographer I have become.

becoming a photographer

Ten years later, I still take a photo everyday, more or less. These days though, it’s less about improving my photography. Instead, taking a photograph every day is a practice in mindfulness. To live in the present moment – even if it is just for a few minutes every day.

If you are looking for a way to improve your photography and to learn and grow as a photographer, I wholeheartedly recommend embarking on a 365 project. But a word of caution…you might never stop.

Warning!! Shameless self-promotion alert!!

My Everyday Magic photography class is a photographic guide to finding and capturing the delight and wonder of your ordinary life. Through the course of the lessons and content included in this class, I show you how to find the places where science and magic meet. And I teach you how to capture the magic by demystifying the photographic process along the way.

Click here to learn more about my class.

One last note. Whether you’re here to for pretty pictures or photography inspiration. Or perhaps hearing stories about my life makes you feel less alone in your life. Whatever the reason, I am so grateful for your continued support for all these years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me share my stories and my photos with you.

Love, kelly

Share this!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: photography 2 Comments

Subscribe to get the latest

free goodies straight to your inbox

« December Looked Like This
Learning to See »

Comments

  1. Hannah Arango says

    January 1, 2023 at 10:48 am

    I love this!! I’ve thought about taking your class to get me more acclimated with photography stuff. My husband has a Canon 7D. Is that a good one to start out with?

    Reply
    • kelly says

      January 2, 2023 at 8:07 am

      Thank you so much Hannah! And yes, a Canon 7D is a great camera and perfect for this class.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

My New Photography Class Is Here!

Here’s where you can find me on the web

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

About Me

Hi There! I’m Kelly. I am a wife, mom, light seeker, homemaker, and storyteller. From an empty nest to an abundant life, all it took was a little time, a lot of faith, and the courage to see my life differently.

You can read more about my story here.

So now, armed with my trusty Canon camera, here is where I share my journey to live an inspired and intentional life.

Welcome to my little corner of the interwebs!

Learning to See Photography Series

December Daily® 2023


Popular Categories

  • 10 Things
  • ordinary life
    • family
    • faith
    • friends
    • travel
  • creativity
    • photography
    • memory keeping
    • blogging
  • home & garden
    • recipes
    • gardening
    • crafts
    • holidays
  • my favorite posts
    • my not-so-empty nest
    • the art of an ordinary life
  • Memory Keeping 2019
  • Photography
  • About Me
  • Contact

AROUND THE WEB

Regular Contributor to Focusing on Life.

Story Teller for Ali Edwards Design Team

Currently Teaching at Big Picture Classes.

My Portfolio - Kelly Ishmael Photography

Some of My Favorite Topics

10 Things 31 days 50 Stories 52 Weeks of Pinspiration! blogging crafts creativity faith family friends gardening holidays home Learning To See life memory keeping Nature photography recipes seasons Summer Magic The Week in Photos travel Uncategorized

Copyright © 2025 · Faithful theme by Restored 316

 

    %d