Cows
In the summer of 2017, right after I graduated from high school, I used my graduation money to purchase a nice camera. I have always enjoyed taking pictures and had a couple of cheap digital cameras growing up. When I first bought my camera, I took it just about everywhere with me. It was my little baby! I loved capturing as many photos as I could in the first couple weeks, but after a few months, my excitement slowly declined. I still used it but only for the occasional photoshoots with friends or self-timer family pictures.
At this time, cameras on smartphones were getting better and better and I found myself leaving my camera abandoned on a shelf in my room because of it. In a way I started to regret getting my camera in the first place, since I now had such a great quality camera on my iPhone, which was also super convenient.
Arnolds Park
Convenience was and is important to me because I enjoy taking photos of people, places and things that aren’t staged or posed. Capturing something in its realist, most natural state is so incredible to me. Taking a picture of a person when they don’t know they are being photographed or capturing a moment of a deer passing through your backyard.
Fast forward to the year 2020, this was the year I captured my favorite pieces so far. I think almost everyone can agree that 2020 made us appreciate the small things more and pay attention to things we didn’t have the time for in our pre-2020 lives. I know I did and that is what inspired me to take these photos over the course of this past year.
Prickly Pear Cactus
These featured images were taken on my iPhone. I wasn’t planning to take these photos, so I didn’t come equipped with my camera. I just happened to see something natural, and special in that moment and wanted to capture it.
In the fall of 2020, I ordered 20 prints of my Cows photo to give to friends and family and a couple huge canvases with the Cows photo on it for my parents. Because of that, many people were interested in purchasing the canvas from me and I recently started to sell them in a couple different sizes. Having people enjoy my photography makes me inspired to keep doing it and to build my skill set. It is fulfilling to know that my photography not only brings so much joy to me, but also others as well.
Tatum Jones is a Midwest creative, recent graduate at the University of Iowa, and the Communications and Events Intern for AMIDST magazine. To connect with Tatum, follow her on Instagram at @tatumjoness. Cows prints are still available for order.
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