Walking in the rain

This weekend it was raining all day long. I personally couldn’t stay locked up indoors. So I picked up my Leica camera and light meter and went outside. Sure it was cold, and I got wet, and my gear suffered a little bit, but no one was outside. Everyone was indoors. It was amazing; I had three massive local parks all to myself. On a normal sunny weekend, there would normally be hundreds of people, and you would struggle to find a frame without someone walking through it. But not today, not on this rainy day.

It made me think that not everyone is willing to put in the work when times get hard or a little uncomfortable. People prefer to stay safe and complain about the weather or their situation instead of being proactive and putting in the work. It was a great feeling that I was making photos, being creative, doing my passion, which is photography. That feeling that I would be part of the very few who got a great image today in my area.

So why do most of us complain and focus on the negative instead of working around them? You hear it all the time. I call it being romantic, people complaining or making excuses like film vs. digital, a saturated market, prices going down, fewer studio jobs, clients wanting free work, etc. Complaining is being counterproductive. Complaining is not putting in the work. Complaining is not adapting. Evolve, change, make do with what you have. Be positive in times of strife. Remember and be content with what you have and what you’ve achieved. Learn and evolve.

It was just interesting that this happened to me today. It was raining, and I bet all my friends and coworkers will complain about it on Monday. But I won’t complain because I accepted the situation and adapted to it, and because of this, I had a great time. I recommend you do the same. Stop complaining. Stop being childish. Adapt to your situation and make the most of it. Rise above everyone else in times of strife.