the joy of photography is learning to see
Since September, I’ve been taking at least a photo a day. Some days, searching for just one good photo in the every-day of life is a struggle. Other days, dozens appear.
The heart of good photography is capturing the aspects of the world that appeal to you visually. Over time, you learn what those aspects are. You discover your own aesthetic, refine your taste.
I’ve taken hundreds of photos from recent travels in Brazil and Argentina, Thailand and Japan. But my favorites are always the small but meaningful moments at home. Raisin scones hot out of the oven, the wood-burning stove aglow in the dim corners of the day’s light, cows staring back stoically.
There is magic in the mundane.
The joy of photography is learning to see.
A camera is a tool that fosters keener observation, much like a pen. The photographer is taught to notice their surroundings. To seek things they cherish. To pay attention.
By learning to be on the lookout for beauty, I find it everywhere. Even when I’m not carrying a camera.
Beauty, along with wonder and mystery and awe, brings consolation to the soul in a way that is difficult to put into words. It sparks something nourishing, almost tangible, deep inside us. This makes photography special: its ability to capture feelings and flickers of sensation that I cannot articulate well, but love so much that I want to show you.
The best measure of a photo is simply the emotional response it evokes. Does this pull my heartstrings?
The photographer learns that emotions are not only internal but also exist in physical space. Emotions surround us. A place has a mood and shapes the mood of those who dwell there.
Inevitably, you will find some things you like and some things you dislike with your environment. Dissatisfaction, then, is a prompt to remake it more beautifully. The effect cannot be understated.
There is almost nothing more valuable than beauty.
What would I tell myself if I was just beginning?
Skip the twenty-minute tutorials, the textbooks, the technicalities of aperture and shutter speed and focal length. Don’t wait for permission or instruction or even tomorrow. You don’t need to understand something in order to do it.
Start with where you are, start with what you have, and start with creation.
Fumble around, regardless of how qualified or ready you feel. Borrow your Uncle’s Nikon, or dig out your Mom’s Minolta from a musty cardboard box in the attic, or just use your phone. Get out on your feet and into touch. Take at least a photo a day. Make an effort.
With patience comes joy. And joy will bring improvement on its own timeline.
You will shape your photos and your photos will shape you.
Yours,
My essays are entirely funded by patrons. If you value my work and want to support it (and get some exclusive content), the best way is by taking out a paid subscription.
If you enjoyed this piece but are not ready to become a patron, you can Buy Me A Coffee. If you wish.
👋 what i’ve been up to:
After 9 months of writing and hundreds of hours, I finally published an essay on my relationship to work. It’s the longest piece I’ve written but, I think, the best. Thank you to everyone for the love (:
For a reset, I turned off my phone, closed my laptop, and drove north to Algonquin Provincial Park with my brother for three days of hiking in the backcountry.
Today I’m running a Spartan Race. “The hardest obstacle course race on the planet will make you physically fit, mentally strong, and more resilient”.
✍️ quote i’m pondering:
English philosopher G.K. Chesterton on seeing:
“If you look at a thing nine hundred and ninety-nine times, you are perfectly safe; if you look at it the thousandth time, you are in frightful danger of seeing it for the first time.”
Thank you for reading!
1- Leave a Like. If you enjoyed this post, please click the ❤️ below. It helps support my work (but mostly keeps my dreams from drowning)
2- Spread some Love. If you want to make my day, share it with your people.
3- Get in Touch. If my writing resonates or if you need a friend, please reach out. Reply to this email or leave a comment :)
"The science of anything may be taught or acquired by study; the art of it comes by practice or inspiration. The art of seeing things is not something that may be conveyed in rules and precepts; it is a matter vital in the eye and ear, yea, in the mind and soul, of which these are the organs."
--John Burroughs
Lovely reflections, always enjoy your words.
"The human soul needs actual beauty more than bread."
--D. H. Lawrence