Where is the learning curve?

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I hope that nobody sees me, a thought races through my mind as I climb my classroom's windowsill and open it. A gust of wind lifts few math reflection sheets and they flutter to the ground.
I know I look silly, and to think of it, act silly too. I kneel and lean a bit sideways, lift my camera and zoom it to the top of a maple tree against the sky. I don't want anyone to see this. I wouldn't know how to explain why I am taking photos of a tree and sky in the middle of the fifth period, when kids are in Music and I should be sorting and putting away papers, part of which have landed on the floor.
Would they understand that I have joined a project to take photos of gratitude for a whole month? Would it make sense to them that I am sincerely grateful to see the colors of the tree and all the light of the sun? Fall can be rainy and dark in Estonia. Would they realize that I am happy because I lifted my eyes and looked above the ugliest brick wall ever that is my usual view? Maybe they would understand if I said I was learning to take photos.
I turn off the camera, close the window, climb down, pick up the papers and put my camera away. The downloading of photos has to wait.
I don't know whether these photos have captured what I saw without the camera. On Saturday my sis and I laughed that all the sea pictures I had taken would be with a slanted horizon, and they were. On every single picture the sea and the sky were tilted. I had to straighten and crop the pictures to be able to share with others.
I have found that having theoretical knowledge (I admit I have read several posts a'la how to take stunning pics) does not easily transfer to practice. I understand the idea of light, background and composition. Nevertheless, the shadows and silly details like a lonely sock, or a dirty window, laugh back once I view my pics on the laptop. I have not got very far with taking pics of people and action. I like to stick to the bit advice my sis gave to me - take close up pics and then share them big - and this has worked well so far.
One would think that compared to painting and writing taking photos is easy. All you need is a click of a button. But it is not. Like anything else it takes patience and tons of practice to have pleasing outcomes. Occasionally lovely pictures just happen.