GM. This one’s from 2017, one of my earliest works. I called it “Still in the Game” because back then most of my shots didn’t come out how I wanted, and I was afraid I’d never get good. Looking at it now, it’s full of mistakes - over-edited, edges too dark, middle too bright, colors way off - and I foolishly deleted the RAW file, so it’s locked like this forever.

But the composition still holds. I went back to the same spot recently with more experience, a better camera, better editing skills, and perfect light, and I still couldn’t recapture it. That’s the strange thing about photography: sometimes you can come up with a better frame as a novice than you can craft as a pro, and you’ll never make the exact same image twice.

If you’re looking for a hobby, landscape photography is one that often delivers even in failure.