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Loud voices, vibrant conversations, and big hearty laughs were an integral part of my family. While everyone in my family was outgoing and talkative, I was always the odd one out. Quiet, simple, soft-spoken, and hesitant. These were just a few words that people used to describe who I was when I was younger. Anytime I met someone new, I assumed that I was another random Indian boy that nobody found exciting or unique, just another human being. Being an introvert never led me to feel “alone” as some people think. I had an extremely active imagination, which made every moment by myself all the more enjoyable. I spent most of my summer before freshmen year watching TV at home and exploring the new neighborhood by myself. After two weeks of this routine, my parents decided to surprise me and bought me a DSLR camera. After spending a few hours learning about how everything on the camera worked, I set off on my bike to catch the sunset. As I sat by the bay patiently waiting for the sun to sink into the water, I pressed the shutter button for the first time, hearing the distinct click of the shutter opening and closing. Each minute resulted in a new set of colors and a beautiful new memory to preserve. Looking back at the pictures I had just taken, shooting landscapes was interesting but at the same time I started to think about what it would be like to shoot pictures of people. I decided it was time to step out of my shy introverted wall, using the camera as my hammer to break through. The next week, I took a leap and stepped out of my comfort zone, traveling out to San Francisco with nothing but $20 and my camera. I didn’t really have a physical destination in mind, because I was focused on meeting at least one new person. I stepped off the train and saw the city streets overflowing with people. I let myself follow the flow of the crowded streets, and eventually started losing hope and took refuge at a coffee shop tucked away in an alley. I ordered a cup of coffee and once it arrived, I started positioning it in a manner that would be aesthetically pleasing for a photo. Right before I press the shutter button, I hear a voice behind me say “Send me any pictures you take of the coffee!” As I turned around to see who the voice belonged to, I see a man with a thick black beard and an arm full of tattoos smiling walking towards me. I was both intimidated and excited by this action, because someone had actually come and talked to me. He introduced himself as Patrick, the owner of the coffee shop. Initially we started off talking about trivial things such as where we were from, but eventually we moved onto much more meaningful conversations. I even showed him a few of my photos from that day. After this experience, I was motivated to continue to both improve my photography skills and branch out into the world. As I continued my journey through high school, I became more sociable and talkative using both my pictures and personal experiences to connect with others. My camera gave me sense of confidence and curiosity to meet people and participate in new experiences where I could make memories with each picture. Similar to a negative print slowly coming to light in a darkroom, photography has exposed my true colors.