STRETCHING YOUR BOUNDARIES

By Kathleen Messmer

The first thing people ask me when I tell them I’m a photographer is, what do you shoot? Well, the standard answer I give is usually Fine Art. No one knows what that means, so they tell me that’s cool and go about doing whatever they were doing before they asked the question. But amazing things can happen when we push ourselves outside of our comfort zone.

I learned this lesson during a National Geographic photography workshop that challenged me to stretch my boundaries and try new things. Despite my initial nerves, I walked away from the experience with a newfound sense of confidence and a collection of stunning images.

Since then, I've continued to explore new areas of photography, from artistic nudes (where I was the only female in the class) to wild horse photography (without getting trampled by the wild herd!). It's been an incredible journey, and I've discovered that the possibilities are endless when we're open to trying everything, even if we think we’re not interested in the subject matter.

So here’s my thinking…when someone asks me what I shoot, I proudly answer “EVERYTHING!" because I know that anything is possible if we're willing to step outside our comfort zone.  Try it, you’ll like it.