Defining an Amateur Photographer
Being young nowadays offers more of an opportunity to embrace creative passions and delve into hobbies of all sorts. Amateur, coming from the Latin amatorem meaning “to love” was adopted in 1784 with the principal definition of “one who has a taste for some art, study, or pursuit, but does not practice it”. Though in today’s linguistic understandings it has evolved into a catchphrase for those who attempt, yet do not excel nor seek much professional gain from their skills or hobbies. It is simple to be an amateur in your life, it is harder to accept it as being what you are.
Leyland Gnass, an amateur photographer known as @gnass photography on their Instagram account, utilizes their enjoyment of the beauty in their life through photography to inspire others. She seeks nothing more than to share their images with people, Leyland proudly embraces the moniker of amateur. Leyland’s hopes are that her passion for creativity will be enough to embolden others to explore their own pursuits. She believes that the rank of amateur is the right thing for her. There is no desire to monetize or have a professional gain. She only desires to love it.
Amateur Beginnings
Leyland found her passion for photography began when she was young. Her father always had a camera in hand and an eye for detail. This prompted Leyland to venture into photography herself. Being comfortable with traveling the world since a baby, Leyland first began to take pictures of the interesting things she would see on the adventures she took around the world. From elephants in Tanzania to idyllic villages of Italy, Leyland explored the world through a lens. Her photography developed overtime. Testing new formats from landscape to portrait, learning what inspired her most.
Growing into her late teens and early twenties, Leyland begun taking classes for photography. This is where she was first dubbed the title of Leyland Gnass, amateur photographer. Her inspiration bloomed with age. She immensely enjoyed the rank of amateur photographer and began to share her photos with the world through Instagram. Though the classes brought rules and rigidity to her art. Leyland felt that the limitations of her creativity were frowned upon by the professional perspective of others. However, Leyland discovered that being nothing more than an amateur in the creative pursuit of photography was enough. This inspired her to accept the moniker and inspire others to do the same.
Embracing Photography Beyond the Rule of Thirds
After deciding that her photography would not be a means of professionalism in her life, Leyland begun to focus it solely on the things she loved. Her photos often only feature her friends, nature, and water; things she loves and finds beautiful. She equated being an amateur to the roots of its definition. Beginning to express the belief that loving a creative passion is fulfilling in itself. That even though society views talents as something to be capitalized upon to be successful, loving it is successful enough.
Amateur was no longer a negative word that other’s deemed less than expert. It did not have to abide by rules to be admired, nor be popular or mainstream. Leyland Gnass’ photography was for the few not the many. And if a few could be inspired, then maybe they’ll go on to inspire a few more. It was worth more for this young photographer to learn to accept her own art than to seek acceptance from the masses. Though she still shares her photos through her Instagram @gnass_photography, it is not in the attempt to become a social media sensation. Only to spread a little bit of creativity to others. Her only mission, to inspire amateurs to embrace and love their own work.
The Beauty of Being Enough
Today’s societal culture has given young people the belief that if they are not perfect in something, they can’t do it. From outdated and pressurized educational systems to competitive capitalist workplaces, society has mandated a religion of perfectionism. Many young people can relate to the pressures of being the best in school, in their passions, in their electives. It creates a strain upon the next generations. Fostering the idea that if you are not excelling, then maybe it is better to just stop altogether. This dogma goes so far as to warp one’s enjoyment and love of a pursuit into a need to be approved and appreciated by the masses to be successful.
Within her journey with photography, Leyland found these beliefs and values to be plagued upon herself. She refused to listen. She believed in her art, she believed in her passion, and through this determined that an amateur is an expert because they love what they do beyond compare. Whether or not society decrees her a success, Leyland’s pursuit of photography is more than enough for her. She hopes that her slightly crooked, awkwardly angled, mismatched aesthetic will reach people. Not to be praised or become famous, but to show that an amateur photographer like herself is perfectly happy not being the best. Everyone deserves to enjoy what they love, whether they are perfect at it or not. Amateur, “to love”, should never be seen as a negative aspect of your life.