by Kelly
It always happens at least once….
This past Friday, the day got away from me and I forgot to
take a photo for my 365 project. Luckily
for me I had taken the above photo with my iPhone. But still.
I was a little bummed.
It’s this time of year though. And it’s totally OK…summer is
just like that. So much stuff going
on. Good stuff! Yet sometimes it’s hard to make time for all
it AND work on my photography.
During the months of June and July especially, I find that
it is a little more challenging to manage the delicate balance between cultivating
and nurturing a good life, which is the creative fuel for my photography. And cultivating and nurturing my photography
which for me is, in part, a celebration of my good life.
It can be a real conundrum.
But the good news is that there is no 365 police ready to
banish me from photography because I missed a day. And so what if sometimes I just phone it in a
little? And take an easy shot?
Who really cares?
At the end of the day, I am still taking pictures. I am still practicing my craft. So what if not every shot knocks my socks off? I mean real life isn’t
like that anyway.
Please, don’t get me wrong….I love photography. I love
learning and growing and practicing and experimenting. And I want to continue to do just that. But I also want to sit with my family on the
back porch and visit about family history. I want to enjoy alfresco dinners with my friends.
It’s OK to put the
camera down.
I find that in my own art, the less pressure I put on myself, the
better my art is. And the more fun I
have. Because photography is supposed to
fun.
I sometimes have to
remind myself of that fact.
So with that in mind, I am here today to grant you permission to take off your “Photographer’s” hat. I give you permission to take the easy shot. Or snapshots! Or shoot with your phone camera. And if you’d rather watch a sunset without worrying about exposure, fine! Don’t shoot at all if you don’t want to. Take a mental picture
instead.
It's funny...it happens more often that you would think. I actually had most of this blog post written Sunday before Dotti's post from yesterday was published...totally on the same page though. Keeping things simple.
(Reason #1,467 why I love being part of this wonderful group of women).
So if you're on the same page with Dotti and me, I am giving you permission to cut yourself some slack Let's make wonderful memories first, then beautiful photos second.
Until next time, Kelly
7 comments:
What lovely snippets of your life, Kelly! And, oh, it's so true. Some days are just so busy we get 'mundane' instead of spectacular. And that's okay, it's a true picture of our lives. And as a reformed-phone-camera snob {as in: if it's not taken with a big camera it's not a real photo}, I say yes! There are times to leave the big camera at home, take just the phone camera and take pictures ... or not. After all, it's about being present 'now' {how many times have we said that?} and knowing when to shoot photos and when not to. That in itself is an art.
Thank goodness for the phone. It has saved me more than one or twice. Life isn't perfect so neither should our photography or 365 projects be.
Oh yes, the phone has saved me more than once! Beautiful post Kelly, sometimes the best photos are the once that we don't plan, maybe not perfect for full of moments and memories.
Such a wonderful post, Kelly, and such perfect summer photos! This is a timely one for me. We were recently at my son's house for his birthday party and a World Cup game and it was so much fun to see him with his friends from college, law school and work and I was just soaking it all in. Then the next day I realized I had not taken ONE SINGLE PHOTO! At first I was kicking myself about that. How could I, who am supposed to be a photographer, not take a single photo at my son's birthday party??? But sometimes that's what happens. You are in the moment, enjoying that moment so much that you just don't even think about taking a picture. The trick is to convince yourself that that's okay! But we have to give ourselves permission to live our life as well as record it. I do have some wonderful mental pictures of that day -- if only I could print them out!
I really do need to get me a better phone so I can depend on that when I am not bringing my big-girl camera along. And more than once I have been "in the moment" and completely forget to capture those moments. But now you have given me permission to not fret. And I do love your "summertime" shots.
No 365 police? Whew! : ) great post and lovely shots. It is so important to live in our moment too and not just through the frame.
I really admire those who take on a 365 project. You are committed to getting that shot every day, regardless of the time or the camera! Wow. I have never found my life or temperament fits well with that kind of structure. Some days I'm called to take hundreds of shots and other days it's none -- even when I have the chance -- and see the image. But I've really become comfortable with going with my own internal rhythms these days and confronting any voices in my head that might give me a hard time. They're not me...
Post a Comment
Thank you for sharing part of your day with us. If for any reason you are unable to leave a comment here on this post, please leave your comment on our Facebook page or in our Flickr discussion group. We love hearing from you!