From Impossible to Inevitable: The only practice that matters is the one you consistently do
When it comes to being or doing anything, the road to greatness isn't through struggle, hardship, or luck. It's not through skill or talent. The road to greatness is through consistency.
What I learned reading 'Photo Work: Forty Photographers on Process and Practice
First off, I couldn't put this book down; I read it every day I had a moment of free time. This book isn't a story or a journey. It is a series of in-depth interviews from forty photographers asked the same exact questions. Photographers ranging from Robert Adams, Alec Soth, Todd Hido, Lisa Sarfati to Justine Kurland, to name a few.
Unveiling Authenticity: The Creative Evolution of Style and Voice
Style is external; voice is internal. Throughout our lives, our style evolves and changes. Some of us try new things and are not set in stone. But our voice, our point of view of the world and how we see it, doesn't change as easily. Your voice is you; it's powerful and can become timeless.
How to Become a Better Photographer
Photography is both an art and a craft, and becoming a better photographer is a journey that requires practice, reflection, and a willingness to break free from conventions. Here are some key steps to guide you on your path to improvement.
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?
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.
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.
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.
The best point-and-shoot camera I've owned
I've been around for a while; all 36 years, and during that time I've accumulated and used a number of point-and-shoot cameras, from the film days to the adoption of digital. And I can honestly say after using, Yashica, Ricoh, Leica, Fuji, Kodak, Olympic, Canon & Contex my favourite point-and-shoot camera can be summed up into these categories; ease of use, quality, features and size. It would have to be the…
Does having all this photography gear make me a good photographer?
Does having the latest gear, or the best or a large amount of gear make you a better photographer? Everything you see in this photo I use daily for my commercial work. This gear is an asset that helps me make a living. But does it make a good photographer?
Let your subconscious take over your photographs
Once you subconsciously realise that when you are taking photos without a desire or theme; it's then when we go through our edit and our archive that we start to see melodies throughout our work. Be a spectator to your instances, and let go of theory, rules and guidelines. That is when you start to notice your voice was there all along hidden in your spontaneous subconscious mind.
Queen Elizabeth II's and the cameras she used
Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-serving monarch. She died at age 96, after reigning for over 70 years. To honor, her life as photographers let's look back on what cameras she used over the years. As she was an ardent photographer.
The great debate
Film vs Digital. Full frame vs Cropped sensor & fixed vs zoom lenses. Which is best and which one should you use or get? I'm going to put this debate to rest with real-world states and in-field options from professional uses.
Self-worth
The links between Boredom & dopamine
Have you ever found yourself relaxing, with some form of entertainment be it TV, a game or a book and you start to realise that you're extremely bored? The activity you're doing to relax and escape your dreary everyday life is completely and totally boring all of a sudden. That has happened to me on numerous occasions, I start to think to myself, why am I wasting my life doing this? A wave flows over me and I feel, not quite existential dread but rather existential boredom.
Working all your life
I clicked on the video, sitting there watching listening trying to learn and get inspired when these words hit me like a tone of bricks. It's something I never thought of, I've been working my whole life, saving, investing, trying to get close to retirement when Warren Buffets words sink in. "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die."