Starting to see
Photography really changed the way I see the world. I am not sure to what extend I actually saw it before I started to get serious with photography. It is as if photography opens your mind to new ways of of seeing the world, you will start to notice things that were irrelevant to you before or you simply did not care.
Mental side to it…
You will find that when you get serious with photography, then there is a mental side to it that starts to appear: you find that your concentration and focus while shooting pushes every other thought or concern away, leaving you fully engaged into the photography work. This is both refreshing and charges your batteries in a way that not many other activities do. To me photography has an element of mindfulness to it that you become more and more aware of the more you shoot.
Meaning…
If you ask me to go for a walk, a hike or bike to a nice location, you probably would be able to persuade me into the activity. Repeat that, and remind me that I can bring my camera, and I am all onboard the proposal! To me photography brings meaning or an additional element into activities like that and I find that almost anything (like taking the bus to work) is an opportunity for photography. It may sound silly and it may just be me, but that added dimension to an activity means a lot to me!
Opening presents all the time
In a video with photographer Fiona Lark, she described the process of opening images in post processing software as opening little presents and see what they contain! I fully agree! Most of the time I am disappointed I must admit! But just once in a while I am positively surprised by what I have captured and what I can do with it in post processing. And to my surprise it is often those images that I think nothing of during the shoot that are the best when I get back to the computer.
A continuous process
I recently did an exhibition where I had to select which images to go on the exhibition and which to stay home. I absolutely hated it! Reflecting upon the reason for this, I think it is because photography to me is 90% process and 10% result, and when you are forced to draw a line in the sand and present your portfolio, you are confronted with the 10%. But to me that is not the vital part, and I have feeling that later today or tomorrow, I can do and will do better than what I have done so far. So if I can just get 5 more minutes before I have to present my work…. So the ambition and the work to make my work better and occasionally succeeding is what makes photography a lot of fun.
All the way…
As you get older, there are probably a few things that you have to drop either because it is no longer an interest of yours or you simply get too old. I can still both hike, bike, run and swim, but skiing and roller blades are no longer on my agenda, and as I get older, I expect the list of things I can do to be shorter and shorter. Photography is one of those things that I both hope and plan can stay with me all the way; maybe I cannot climb the highest of mountains to get the best views for my images, but less can certainly do! And I am sure I will enjoy it as much as any other photographer, both younger and more fit than me!
Related reading
Color composition in photography
Try micro variations in your photography
Thank you very much Frederik. I reached this page via your YouTube channel where I followed your report about the first 24 hours with the EPSON A2 printer with interest. Your arguments for why you like photography are absolutely understandable and I found your reports very interesting. Stay healthy and have fun “All the way …”. Best regards from Germany, Bert.
Thank you Bert! Stay healthy as well Bert, things are getting a bit crazy here in Denmark, but I understand that Germany is the same!