Learning something new can always be challenging. No matter who you are, how old you are or what your good at. During IT lessons at uni I have noticed a few people are having or have had problems with technology, and some have found using technology quite a scary experience. I have grown up surrounded by technology. Having a dad who builds computers and could spend hours talking, discussing and explaining technology, I never really had much choice but to play with technology! I have never looked at a computer and been scared. But I definitely know how it feels.
As I have said I've grown up around technology so when I got into photography digital came natural to me. It was something I enjoyed and something I was good at. I never really came across film until I went to college, and even then we never really went into it too much. We might have spent one or two lessons in the dark room 'playing', but I never really knew what I was doing.
Fast forward to my first year at uni and I HAD to use a film camera. I was absolutely petrified. I can feel myself panicking and my palms getting sweaty just thinking about that first proper day in the dark room at uni. Everyone around me seemed to know what they were doing, and I didn't. I felt like an idiot. All these people seemed to know what they were doing and I was just looking at the scary equipment in front of me. Eventually I asked for help, but to be honest it was explained way too quickly because the class was just so big, and the lecturer had other things to move onto. I asked other students for help, but after a few times asking I felt like I was being a huge pain and annoying everyone. Every time I went into that dark room I started getting warm and my heart started beating faster. I had never been so intimidated by a piece of equipment like that before.
But it got easier. Hour lessons were not enough for me to learn, so I stayed behind, asked for tutorials and researched. I still got frustrated that I couldn't develop photographs like others in my class, and I couldn't do it as quick. But you know what, I got it. I eventually could walk into that dark room without panicking, and do my work. Now I have 3 film cameras, and I love them! Don't get me wrong I would rather be playing in Photoshop than the dark room, but at least I have the choice.
So what I am trying to say is, it really doesn't matter who you are, learning something new can always be challenging. But you need to pursue and practice, cause you will get it. I know how it feels to feel lost, so I am always happy to help anyone if I can. Your not an idiot just because you can't do something. You will do it eventually.
