I first picked up a DSLR five months ago. And while to many that would be seen as a short amount of time, it feels like an eternity to me. I have committed so much of myself to furthering my skills and knowledge that I feel there are few others could match my work after a similar length of time.
I do not consider myself a novice by any means. I pursue perfection in all elements of my work. Be it my toolkit and my use of it, my composition and exposure, or the postprocessing at the end of the day.
My method for success throughout this process has always been to be the hardest working guy in the room. This philosophy reaped rewards for me during the UniSport Nationals, where my work ethic gave me the means to earn the right to be one of two photographers to shoot the marquee events for UniSport, to be televised on Fox Sports later this month. I excelled over photographers with years of additional experience and thousands more in gear, because I wanted the shot more.
I now find myself quickly acquiring the gear of these other photographers. And in truth, I'm just so excited for the future.