Film

I’ve posted on here before about the film, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and I cannot say enough how much I love this movie, but that post has been done before.

There is a line in the movie where Mitty’s coworker Hernando, played by Adrian Martinez, references Time photojournalist Sean O’Connell and states that he still shoots on film and that results in a man crush for him. I laugh every time because I totally understand.

Digital photography has revolutionized the world of photojournalism, no denying that, but I think there is something special about film and still utilizing it. Shooting on film forces you to know and understand your craft better. For starters you have to think about all of your settings. You have to know your ISO conditions before you put a roll of film in, you have to think about shutter speeds and apertures without digital histograms or previews to tell you if you got the look you want or not. This refines one as a photographer in ways that are just different than shooting on digital will provide.

Maybe we should all dust off our old 35mm or 120mm cameras and go have some fun. I have a bag in my closet with an old 35mm camera and a load of unexposed film begging for some light. Let’s go shoot something interesting and fun!

I Dream in Color

I’ll be honest, I don’t dream much while I sleep, but I do dream a lot while I am awake. I’d like to think it is more vision casting for my life than daydreaming. I keep a notebook on Evernote dedicated just to these dreams and thoughts. Some of them see the light of day, while others sit and collect dust.

I often think about those dreams and ideas and sometimes it feels as if I’m not seeing an idea clearly but rather a broken reflection of what I’m really aiming for. Those dreams require a bit of wrestling to clear up. They must be worked out in order for them to come to fruition.

I have followed David duChemin for several years now and he has written volumes on the idea of working out your vision (specifically in the realm of creativity and photography). He states, “Our vision is a reflection of who we are, and since who we are is always growing and changing, our vision is a little bit of a moving target.” He further states, “Art, whatever else it also is, is about questions. It’s about exploration.” (from Exploration & Expression)

duChemin gets it right in so many ways and it shouldn’t come as a surprise as he has devoted so much of his time to working these things out in his own life.

So as I work through these dreams in my own life, I look forward to the adventure that awaits. The beauty of the unknown.

Imagine for a second what might be around the corner. For me, the challenge of growing as a photographer and ever flexing my creative muscles is leading me into new and uncharted territory as a photojournalist. I find my skills and my profession ever developing in an ever changing world.

Having dreams is important and it is even more important to work through them, even to see some of them come to fulfillment.

What are you dreaming about?

(another great read on this topic would be Why Your Life Needs a Mission Statement from fastcompany)

The Stories We Live

“Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world.” -Moby Dick

This is quite possibly one of the most recognizable opening lines in classic literature. But what makes this story and so many others so recognizable? What makes an interesting story?

To begin with, it would be helpful to discuss the idea of story itself. Generally, a great story will cover five basic (leaving all complexity aside) elements: Introduction/Beginning; Rising Action/Conflict; Climax; Falling Action; and finally Resolution/End. This is a general rule and has much flexibility to it, but if you pay attention to a good story, on some level, it will follow this template.

We each have our own story, as well as being part of a larger story involving others, but some people feel their story is not as exciting/interesting/creative as those around them. Those individuals therefore try to live vicariously through someone else’s story.

Maybe we fail to see our own story as interesting because we so often neglect to ask why. Why am I doing this? What is the point?

If story is revolving around an axis with some sort of climax, there must be an answer to the why question. Failing to know why we are living the story we are results in feeling like our lives are mundane and boring.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

I have chosen to work in a field where I get to tell people’s stories; stories that make each of us unique and interesting (even if we don’t think our own story is that interesting).  I have found that when we think about the ‘why’ question and can answer it, we usually find our story is not as boring and mundane as we might have thought. I get the privilege, like so many others, to challenge people to ask that question and see their story as interesting and dynamic.

Your story is as interesting as you want to make it. I don’t mean live someone else’s story as your own; rather, embrace the story you are in. See the creativity staring right at you, embrace the opportunities that are there and live an adventurous life wherever you are. I love the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and I think they have done a great job of capturing this idea of embracing the adventure that is right in front of you. It isn’t that you must travel to some exotic location in the world or do some amazing thing that no one else has ever done. It is that you live each moment to its fullest and live the story God has given you to live.

So I ask you, what story are you living out?

Father’s Day

Being that this past Sunday was Father’s Day, I wanted to take a moment and tell you about one of the most influential men in my life.

My dad was raised in what you might call the back country of western Colorado. He grew up with five siblings and had quite an adventurous childhood from what I have been told. After high school he joined the U.S. Army and was quickly sent to Vietnam during the War.

I have been reading through letters my dad wrote while he was serving his country, letters he wrote back to his family. Somehow, these letters have made it all the way to England with me where I am reading back through them. I don’t know exactly why I’m fascinated with these handwritten notes other than I am a big fan of history and they provide a glimpse into this part of his life.

My dad was one of the most sacrificial men I have ever known. His desire to love and serve his family were a blessing beyond anything describable. The investment he made into my life and my brother’s is immeasurable. Not a day goes by that I do not reflect on some memory of my life and see how he has influenced me. Often I recognize some of the crazy things I must have put my parents through growing up, and yet he was always there with love (even in discipline).

He was a wonderful example of Christ to me and our family and for that I am eternally grateful.

He was one of my biggest heroes. Through his life and death I witnessed a man who served God with all his heart, loved his wife more than himself, and sacrificed so much for his family. He was a man of integrity and by his life I am continually challenged.

Last October marked the 8th anniversary of his battle with cancer, a battle he did not win. I have learned a lot over the last 8 years. I have seen God’s faithfulness through all of the challenges I have faced and I know that as I continue on this journey, his faithfulness will abound.

I remember the first time I realized my wife will never meet this man who has influence me in so many ways; my future children will never know their grandfather. These thoughts do make me sad because of the man who my father was. I am so proud to be his son and I dream of one day being half the man he was.

It is kinda crazy to think that I am a photojournalist living in the UK. I studied Molecular Biology in university and didn’t even get a real camera until my dad passed away. That first camera–the source of one of my dad’s hobbies–opened up a world of creativity to my soul and I have never looked back or thought I should be doing something different.

In more ways than I could ever imagine, I am the man I am today because of my dad.

Reflecting

Its always interesting to think back in life to where you were at a given time and compare it to where you are now. Sometimes this comparison is good, others we would prefer to forget.

In 2000, I had the opportunity to visit London for the first time. I remember walking around the city, taking in the sites, dreaming what it must be like to live there. Now, 14 years later, I find myself walking around London, taking in the sites, and reminding myself that I do live here.

Photography is very similar. As photographers, I think there is value in reflecting back on the past (this really applies to any area of life). Think back for a second to your first foray into the craft of photography. What did your pictures look like? How was your composition? Exposure? Did you understand ISO? Aperture? Shutter Speed?

Maybe you like me thought putting your camera in “P” mode stood for professional.

But reality is that over time and energy invested, we grow. We move from one point to another. We develop our craft as we work through it. Then, one day, we find ourselves wandering through our image gallery reflecting back on the past.

It is healthy, just as in life, to look back over where you have come from photographically. It is encouraging to look back and see that you are making progress.

Not quite where you want to be? Great. None of us are. Rather, we are a community of people working through this craft together. There are a lot of great resources out there to teach you for free and I would venture to say that most of the photographers with dedicated blogs to teaching would love to help you learn in whatever way they can.

Here’s to the future! Here’s to the unknown! Where will you be in another 14 years?

A New Adventure

Where history meets modernity, St. Paul’s Cathedral with the Millennial Bridge

I like to think of life as a series of adventures, some are longer or more interesting than others, but adventures they all are none the less. I guess in some ways I’m an adventure junky or something.

4 years ago I moved back to the U.S. after living in Russia for a few years. After getting married and a Masters degree, my wife and I find ourselves on the biggest adventure we’ve ever been on. When we moved back to the states, we new it was not a long term move. We knew we’d be moving back and it was just a matter of time. We now find ourselves living and working in London, England as international photojournalist. Pretty exciting stuff.

I now find myself wanting to get back into the habit of writing out my thoughts and sharing them. This is quite a challenge as so often I feel like my mind is moving from one thing to the next rather quickly, but it is a challenge I am accepting and working to fulfill. So here’s to another adventure together!!!