Who is currently inspiring me?
We all have our heroes, the people who inspire us. I have gone through so many; the list keeps changing and rearranging itself. From filmmakers, writers, artists, to photographers. I thought it might be interesting to share the artists who have changed how I take photographs and think about photography.
Why is finding your voice so challenging?
Why is finding your voice so challenging? After all, it's your voice; shouldn't it come naturally? Shouldn't it just be there, present? After all, it has been with us all along.Finding your voice is about discovering what you want to say and how you want to express it - a style of storytelling, a narrative structure, an aesthetic that complements our personality. Finding your voice is expressing yourself and how you see the world through a medium of your choosing. For me, that medium is writing and photography. So, why is it so difficult to find something that is inside us? To put it bluntly, it's like gazing at ourselves in the mirror.
My new editing process
We all have or access to a smartphone. Most of us have a gallery of some sort to archive all our photos, be it an app the cloud or on social media. That's how the majority of people store and edit their photos, with ugly ass presets and filters. But like most professional photographers we store our image on our computer, external hard drives or negative film folders. With the occasional box left alone in the corner of the house or studio. For me I currently just keep a few photos stored in my wallet, so how do I edit my photos from my wallet?
Update on where I'm at.
All it took was a year off, a world pandemic, and Flying halfway around the world for a month-long holiday. To rekindle my passion for photography and find myself again. I have come to realize that I'm not a person who likes being in front of the camera. TikTok and YouTube aren't platforms for me to express myself or communicate. I'm a dyslexic writer who can't spell, and a photographer; that's who I am.
Just start making and forget about results
Photography is an amazing art form. It allows us to capture moments, explore the world around us, and share our perspective with the world. It’s a great way to express ourselves and to capture memories that we can look back on and cherish. But, it can also be easy to get caught up in the results, and to focus on pleasing our egos. We all want to take the perfect shot, and when we don’t, it can be discouraging.
Photographic style
Photography is an art form that has been around for centuries, and it has evolved over time to encompass a variety of styles. From traditional portraiture to abstract art, there is a photographic style to suit every taste. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the most popular photographic styles and how they can be used to create stunning images.
How you spend your days is how you spend your life
This is something I constantly think about. And wonder if the way that I live my life is enough? Is it OK to write my thoughts here, take some photos, work and pay my bills? Nothing more nothing less. Is that ok to have an underwhelming, mediocre life?
Why should anyone care about your work?
Why should anyone care about your work? Why should someone care about what you are writing about for example? We all think we are special, that we deserve attention, and that what we are doing is the most important thing in the world or our field of expertise. I'm sorry to say this but if the majority of people think this, then it becomes a double negative and makes everything meaningless or not as important as you hoped. So why should someone pay attention to you and your work?
There is no quick road to what we deem success.
We hopelessly wish for a shortcut, the quick path, instant gratification. To obtain the gratification of accomplishment fame and fortune. In reality, it is the mundane, the monotonous daily grind that leads us to success. I believe that outside of the limelight all great human beings have a simple but effective system that accumulated into their accomplishments. A system the mainstream contuses ignores because it isn't exciting or flashy. There is no excitement, story or obstacle to overcome in these basic systems for success. Just get up, sit down and do the work. Read, train, take notes, and improve, little by little. This method I believe this to be effective. But sadly would never be made into a movie because it's just that, monotonous and boring. The road to success is so simple we can't believe it to be true. We wish there was something unattainable to achieve success. So we can at the very least avoid blaming ourselves for not doing so in our lives.When it comes to obtaining our goals and ambitions. It is imperative that we have a daily routine or an established system that removes all obstacles and aspects of distraction. A system so simple we dare not believe that is all it takes to reach nirvana.
What defines this culture of toxic productivity?
What is this toxic productivity culture? Why is it bad for someone to want to improve themselves? Get better at time management or have control over their days and intern their lives? There is an invisible line that we can cross here. And everyone's line is different to an extent. Here I will outline what turns self-improvement, productivity or systems into toxic productivity.
A simple way to organise your life
It starts with tracking your life and obligations. However, if you choose to track or write down your obligations the better. We want as least friction and distraction as possible. If someone says an event is happing on this date. You need a system to record that event and date it with ease. An just as easily retrieve that data and see it on a regular base. "If you want to master a habit, the key is to start with repetition, not perfection. You don’t need to map out every feature of a new habit. You just need to practice it." - James Clear
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
If you say and talk enough, you will occasionally come up with some gems. But just because you said one or two plus things well over your lifetime, doesn't mean people should religiously listen to you. Quality over quantity. Junk food will occasional have a satisfying bit, but if all we eat what they are serving, then we will surely be malnourished.
What is wrong with living a life of mundanity?
What is wrong with living a life of mundanity? Why always strive to make a difference, to create, to have a legacy? Why do we believe that we must be more than what we are? Why do we subconsciously strive to live past our own lifespan? Is it possible to accept our average life like an ant in a colony, a bee in a hive? We are just a tiny aspect. So why do we feel shame and guilt when we just live; and experience, void of productivity?
Subconscious writing
This is an attempt at writing down my thoughts as they come to me. The idea of subconscious writing alludes me. These words, where are they coming from? When have I heard them, or thought of them? Is it possible that just the act of writing brings them into existence? Which brings me to the question, why do we do the things we do? Where do thoughts and ideas come from? How am I and what makes me; me?
The Power of Creative Exploration
Consistency, repetition, limitations, or limited creative exploration creates genius. Hear me out on this one. Think about great artists and writers. Their limitations are the medium they use for expression. Their consistency is the genre or style in which they use their medium of choice. Then consistently; practising that particular medium. Getting better, while also pushing that medium and exploring it within their style. That is the fine line you have to walk to create masterpieces, and where true genius comes from.
Buy the camera you'll use, not the camera you want.
I see too many photographers worry about their gear over capturing the image. As photographers we love gear, we love buying it, talking about it, reading about it and writing about it. Owning, researching and showcasing photography gear in itself is a hobby. I've met so many photographers with far better and newer gear than me. Amateurs normally have better gear than me. But I'll tell you one thing, I'm not afraid to use it, and sacrifice my camera if I must for that perfect shot.
It's not the person behind the camera that is important, but the person in front of the lens that is.
A lot of photographers are forgetting this one important aspect of a photographer. That photography, the person or subject should be more important than the photographer. We are not celebrities, we are not talent, we are not history. We are storytellers, archivers, and documenters.
I grow up without knowing I had dyslexia
I’m 36 at the time of this writing. I started reading books in my mid 20’s. I only started writing and learning to write once I created this blog. It’s a hard thing to bring into into light because I don’t want to be known for it, or pitied. I have dyslexia and auditory processing disorder, and I only found this out in my 30s. All this time I have been struggling and not even comprehend or understood that I'm different. I thought I was just dumb, slow or stupid but I'm not. Here is my story about what it’s like to grow up with dyslexia and auditory processing disorder without even knowing it.
How to backup your photographs
When it comes to our photos these images are a livelihood. They keep the lights on and food in our bellies. People would say that gear is the most important aspect of photography. But I would say you can replace a camera or a lens. An image only happens once in a lifetime. That moment is everything, and protection should be a priority for us photographers. This is how I back up my images and recommend you should too or at least try and do at least two of my suggestions. But again, your life, your moments and do with them as you please.
Poem - Steel lands
God rays bounce off steel mirrorsEveryone walking in digital prayerSuited monks on their daily pilgrimage…