Systems vs goals
"You don't rise to the level of your goals you fall to the level of your systems" - James ClearSystems vs goals, habits vs dreams, journey vs destination, practice vs performance. You get the idea, systems are like daily habits and goals are like dreams. The best way to reach your dreams is by taking single steps towards it. Each daily step gets you that little bit closer towards your goal.
Living for the likes
Problems arise when you stop living and creating for yourself and start living a lifestyle and create content for your viewers or audience instead of yourself. This is where it stops being about life and a passion for creating and starts becoming a monetization burden if you stop. Creating for what gets the most likes or engagement, can snowball insecurity about your audience leaving you if you stop. This is false, and let me tell you why.
Bear your soul
Bear your soul through your lens. Become vulnerable by showing your true self, the person you are scared to reveal. Try to stop carrying about what avatars think and say. Stop looking at an infinite feed of individual images that tell no story. Because when you start focusing on getting attention on these platforms you lose yourself, and you lose your creativity. Bear your soul and do it regardless if anyone is watching or not. Because if you need to think to create, I suggest you stop thinking.
Incremental steps
We have all done new years resolutions. The day before or the week after we all come up with the most stereotype goals, mainly all physical or finical. That first month most of us stick to it. Getting past February is amazing if you're still in there, but here is where most of us lose focus or motivation to continue as we aren't seeing results. Heres how to stick with it till you start seeing results and your goals are achieved.
How to find your photography style fast?
How to find your photography style fast? Let's not waste any time, what is the most important element in someone's photography style? The quick answer is repetition. What do you do the most and consistently, that will define your style. What comes naturally to you will ultimately become your style. Your default, or to put nicely who you really are and how you see the world will ultimately mould your photography style.
I'm looking, but all I see is ego
I've been contemplating Instagram, social media, feeding the beast, wondering when it will show its appreciation. When will it be my time in the spot-light? Dilutions of grandeur. If your taking photographs, if your creating for anyone other than yourself you will hit a wall of 'why?'.
Technology has no soul
As soon as you start talking about the technical side of photography you start turning away from the most important aspect of photos, telling stories. Technology is and isn't important when it comes to photography. No one care what camera or lighting you used except other photographers. I'm a big believer in the older you get the wiser you get, the less insecure you get, and the less you care about gear. Technology has no soul and here is why.
Taking a break
It's called many things, burnout, a holiday, self-reflection, personal time or recharging your batteries. Whatever you call it, it's OK to step away from your craft, it might even be necessary. For myself, I put the camera down, stoped writing and deleted my social media from my phone for two months, I needed to step away and take a creative break. This is why you might need it too.
Cameras vs Chopsticks
Debating over cameras is like debating over chopsticks and forks. They all do the same basic things, the rest is just measuring minor extremities. A $5,000 car and a $50,000 car both can get you from point A to point B. One just costs more while it massages your ego. I feel that most photographers are missing what is more important than how big their lens is. What is more important is the idea, the meaning, the story behind your work? What are your images about, what are the conveying to the viewer? What are you trying to communicate?
Why I got rid of my photography gear. (revisited)
I had everything I could ever need, all the dream gear. Broncolor lighting, the latest professional Canon cameras along with all the faster canon lenses. I had the latest Apple laptop, tethering equipment, software, c-stands, tripods, light modifiers, Polaroid cameras, all the gear I could have ever dreamed of. I had it all, and at that time it was good, better than good it was extraordinary. So why did I later decide to get rid of everything I work so hard to obtain, and only after a few years after having it?
Reasoning by first principles vs by analogy
For most of us, we end up reasoning by analogy because we've had the 'why' question beaten out of us. Naturally, we are born with reasoning by first principles, but our parents, guardians, teacher and mentors eventual put their foot down and say something like because I said so. Our curious mind and quest for reason and answers are destroyed by an authority. Do as I say, because I said so, don’t question me, I’m the chef, your just the cook follow the recipe.
Wasted time
We are what we repeatedly do. We are the actions we take not the words we say. How you live today is how you live your life. In saying that what did you do today? What did you do to better yourself and your aspirations in photography? Indiana Jones said it best “If you want to be a good archaeologist, you gotta get out of the library!” or in other words, "If you want to be a good photographer you gotta get off the internet!”
One camera one voice
I only use one camera body and one lens, because I only have one voice and one point of view. Most photographers use a variety of equipment and effects to best capture a subject. To say something unique and different for each moment. Wanting to tell a story in a unique way from everyone else. But is this necessary, isn't your point of view enough?
The photography genre minimalism
It’s no lie that Minimalism is the direct contrast and was brought to light from the juxtaposition of over-consumption. All trends start from the opposite, a rebellious movement around social norms. Minimalism isn’t new, its aesthetic has been around since the 1600s from Japan. Then later the word 'minimalism' was coined as an art movement in the 1960s. Today it is associated with an aesthetic and the juxtaposition of hoarders. But what I am interested about the photography genre minimalism is the appeal. The need, want and visually pleasing nature of minimalism.
Habits make the artist
As artists, we all know what good work looks like. We know it's difficult to achieve good work, but we strive regardless. It can sometimes feel like we are Sisyphus, but instead, we never reach the peak of the mountain. The road to becoming a successful artist however you interpret it can be arduous, for there isn’t a standard path. In our hearts we know we can't just follow a guidebook, mentor or degree to reach it. Which can be frustrating, the not knowing. The passage one must take is unprecedented, a route only an individual can charter through.
Meaningful content in the attention economy
I'm sick of reading misleading titles with catchy thumbnails that use bold fonts that have nothing to do with the content except for the sole purpose of catching your attention so you click on it. We live in a world where people spend more time trying to be heard rather than focusing on what to say. Do you really think that meaningful content is manifested just to get more likes? Great work comes from the soul, from a place of meaning, purpose, a personal story, a creative exploration into one's self.
Is your camera obsolete
Pick up your camera, hold it, look at it, and ask yourself is my camera obsolete. Does it no longer achieve what I require from it? Chances are you can think of a few things your camera needs. But if you're being honest with yourself you're just comparing your current camera with another. We all compare, we all want something someone else has. We want abundance, more, the newest shiny whatever. But when you think about purpose, function, getting the job done. Do you really need that new camera or camera model upgrade?
Limitations
I stumbled upon a wonderful quote about creativity when I was reading a book about waiting. “The enemy of art is the absence of limitation.” - Orson Welles. I instantly related to this quote and how it affected my photography through analysis paralysis.We live in a time of wonderful abundance. An era where if you have the means you can own almost anything. We live in a time where people keep creating things to make our lives easier, faster and more instant. With this abundance of choice our first obstacle isn’t starting something but rather how should we proceed.
Minimalism and photography
Now before I get into it, I'm not talking about the aesthetics of minimalism in photography, I'm talking about the life choices and social movement of minimalism and its effect on me as a photographer.With that out of the way, I wanted to tell you that what I consider minimalism might not be your definition. There are so many iterations. Lifestyle, aesthetic, spiritual, bullet journal etc. But let me put you in the right mindset. The Minimalists define it like this.“Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favour of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfilment, and freedom.”
Forming habits
Let say you want to photograph, edit and upload a photo to Instagram every day of the week? That’s 365 photos, that’s a lot of work. How about 5 days a week. That's more achievable and gives you the weekend to take images and edit them for the whole week, rather than a daily commitment spanning the year. How about three images a week. That's doable, you could do that. How about one image a week, now that’s easy. That's where you start, with easy.