What Comes Next?

After moving to Chicago post-graduation in August, 2023 I quickly realized how different life is outside of school. Making money, having set working hours, not having homework to do on the weekends, and not being surrounded by a community of people in similar circumstances were all changes that took more getting used to than I thought they would.

Most of all, in college you’re provided with a very clear goal: to graduate. Adult life is a lot more open ended. Without a clear path ahead of me, I started trying lots of new things to see if they would be able to help me find some direction.

I made my decision to buy a camera on a trip to New Orleans in February, 2024.

One of my first new friends in the city was a co-worker who was very adamant about me getting into photography. I think this was mostly because he wanted to find someone to sell his camera to so that he would have an excuse to buy a new one. As we talked more about photography, I spent some time thinking about it and I decided that I would probably try it at some point, I just wasn’t sure when.

While visiting New Orleans, I distinctly remember a moment alone in the city park. There was a beautiful reflection in the pond of a building with tall columns and a blue sky. It was a moment of calm and quiet during a hectic Mardi Gras week. That was when I decided I wanted a camera. I wanted a way to capture a moment like that.

Much to my friends dismay, I did not buy his camera from him and instead decided to buy a FujiFilm XT-5.

I took this photo on one of my first outings with my new camera near Adler Planetarium. I was joined by two friends, the one who first got me into photography and another who he had also influenced into trying photography.

Looking back, I think this photo really captures the search for meaning that I’ve experienced after college. I’m young, I have my whole life ahead of me. That’s exciting, but it’s also anxiety inducing. What’s next? Where will I be in 5, 10, or 20 years? What do I want my life to look like?