Nature, Patience, and Photography

There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply
not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story. - Linda Hogan

In today's society, where we all want what we want when we want it, a society of instant gratification and the expectation for things to come easily, it's far to simple to ignore the virtues of patience. Now, I in no way am exalting myself as a patient person; far from it. It's a lesson I'm constantly learning and trying to teach myself, but not something that comes easily to me.

Building a business in 2010, in the current global economic meltdown, definitely has it's challenges. It can be easy to sit down one day & say, "I've tried everything, and the business is not coming. I give up." You work your tail off trying to promote yourself and your work, you send out business cards, portfolios, etc, only to not book any jobs. Or, even better, you get the job offer, but they want to pay you some ridiculously low figure. At these times, it becomes all too easy to throw in the towel.

But whenever I have these moments of frustration, I have to look back at what the world would be if all the greats had done that. What if daVinci had said "No one is recognizing my work, my art, my labor. I'm just gonna go on to something everyday and easier. This isn't worth it." Think about all the modern conveniences that may not exist. But they do exist - because he persevered and had patience.

Think about nature. Think how long it takes for a tiny plant to be become a tall tree, or a gorgeous flower. But nature doesn't say, "Ya know, I'm kinda tired of doing this. It takes too long." Looking at nature, in particular, always helps me to bring things back into perspective. Very few things are an overnight success, and those that are usually don't have a lot of staying power. We can't always expect everything to be easy and quick. Sometimes you have to be willing to push yourself past the frustration and the waiting to get to the good part, to be a success.

So my point today is simply to say, whether it involves photographing a subject (plant, animal, human, still life) that you just can't seem to get just right, or building your business (photography or otherwise), look to nature as your motivation. Think about Autumn. It's an amazing & beautiful season, but for most of the country, a short season. Still yet, most everyone agrees that the nine months or longer of waiting are completely worth the wait to experience the beauty of the season. And getting that perfect shot, or building your business to be exactly what you want it to be, will be worth the wait as well.

Patience may be a virtue, but it's one of the best lessons you'll ever learn, and once you do, probably the one that will make you the most successful.

Change Your Mind

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change. - Buddha

My challenge to everyone this week is to look around, REALLY look. Explore the subject of your images as if it's something miraculous & rare, something you've never seen before. Study it from every angle. Try to find a unique approach. Sometimes we get so used to seeing something that it just becomes mundane. This is when we have to challenge ourselves as creative human beings to see the beauty all around. How has this improved your photography? Leave a comment and let us know.

3 EASY TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

So I said when I started this blog that I wanted to do a few basic tutorials and give tips for everyone to improve their photography, so that's what I'm doing today! Below are three basic tips to help you improve your photography RIGHT NOW!

• Apply the "Rule of Thirds" For anyone who hasn't heard of this, it basically means that, when looking through the viewfinder, divide your image into three equal sections. This helps you to get away from the trap many amateur photographers fall into, which is cutting your image in half (think top half of image as sky, bottom half as land, etc).
  
• Don't be afraid to take the subject of your photograph out of the center of the image. Once you have the Rule of Thirds down, divide your image into thirds both horizontally and vertically, which will essentially divide your viewing area into nine different sections. Experiment with placing your subject (person, pet, building, etc) somewhere other than center stage. This will often lead to better, more interesting images.
  
• Know that turning an image to black & white in Photoshop doesn't automatically make it art. This is kindof a pet peeve amongst art photographers. When you look at your images, ask yourself what value it will add to change to a B&W image versus leaving it in color. Is it an image that lends itself to an older vintage look like sepia? Is it timeless? This technique is best used to invoke a mood or atmosphere. Don't change an image from color to B&W unless you have a justification for it.

Try employing these techniques in your photography over the next week, and let us know how it goes. Do you feel your photography has improved? Why or why not? Feel free to ask any questions. I try to check for any comments daily. Happy shooting!