J Hildee Photography

My essay to Sports Shooter Academy:

Ever since I can remember my parents have always told me that I can be anything I want to be, if I put my mind to it. As I grew up I realized that what they forgot to tell me was that most importantly, I needed to put my heart in to it as well. Photography has been that aspiration in my life and without my heart for it, I would be nowhere. Then again, anyone can be a picture taker, but a good photographer comes from the heart.
I picked up my first film camera when I was around twelve years old. I fell in love. I was always nervous with that anticipation of how my photo would turn out compared to the others, but that competition and feeling kept me going. I fell absolutely head over heels for the darkroom and the smell of the chemicals, as they slowly soaked into my skin. As I entered high school and then on to college, my teachers couldn’t get me out of what seemed to be a dark hole to most people, but was a home away from home for me. I worked and saved up to by my first digital camera, a Nikon D50. For the last four years of my life digital photography has consumed me. Actually, it has completely taken over my life. I dream it, feel it, and see it. I joined the community colleges newspaper as a photographer, never before taking a digital photography class. I worked for a wedding photographer as an assistant, and shot a variety of assignments for the newspaper. Two years later transferred to Northern Arizona University where I joined The Lumberjack newspaper as a photographer shooting with a Nikon D300s. I am now in my second semester at NAU where I currently reside as photo editor and in the process of a degree in photojournalism and global studies. I have taught myself everything I know.
Though photography is the path in life that I am following, the only obstacle in my way is my confidence level. Sports shooter would be a great opportunity for me to improve my confidence level, to learn with others and professionals, and to grow as a photographer and person. I am hoping that sports shooter will teach me how to be a better editor on my own and others work and how to shoot sports professionally. After my first semester at NAU, sports has become my darkroom, you can’t get me off the field or court. It is now the anticipation of capturing the perfect play and the excitement of being so close to the action. It is now almost like the sweat from the players is soaking into my skin.
I am hoping for the chance to prove to others, but most importantly to myself, that I am capable of doing exactly what my parents said I could. That I can be anything I want to be, as long as my mind and of course, heart, is set to it.

after submitting my essay and 20 photos, I was chosen for sports shooter within the following 24 hours after submission. After they reviewed over 600 applications at least 2 or 3 times each- I am officially going to this workshop. I am nervous, actually more scared than I ever anticipated in my life about anything. This is worse then any first day of school nerves I had when I was in grade school, this is more nerve racking than my graduation day from high school.. you get the idea. Anyways, I can't believe I am going.

At sports shooter: I'll be photographing there for 4 days none stop in CALI. April 7 - 10 .. not to mention it is on my 21st birthday :) I get to chose the sports I want to shoot, I get to use Nikon equipment, I get to edit with a professional sports photographer, and along with that.. I get to sit in lectures, workshops, and reviews. There is a contest at the end and every night ends around midnight. check out the site to see a few videos on it.

well, as for everything else.. first day of school and now NAU photo editor is all mine.. pretty scary, but i am ready.