It seems like a lot lately, in my life, I keep hearing people talk about the “why” of what we do and how if we can figure out the “why” in our life, then when we get frustrated, discouraged and overwhelmed with things that are going on, we just go back to our “why.” Knowing why you are doing what you are doing will help you to find the motivation and the strength to endure and press forward, following your passion towards your goals.
So I've been thinking a lot about this concept. Not only how it applies to my life overall, but specifically how it can apply to photography! Because I'm all about photography! It is my life, my passion, and I want to empower others in my life to be able to follow their passion! So let's take this idea of figuring out the “why” in your life and get specific with it. Let's investigate how this concept can help us become better photographers.
So here's a few questions for you to think about.
- Why do you love photography?
- Why do you take any picture?
- Why do you want to be better at photography?
- Why do you want people to see the photographs that you take?
And the answer to any one of those questions should NOT be, “to make money.” Making money with our photography is simply a result of what we're doing. It is not the real “why.” If the only reason you're a photographer is to make money, then why not go get a job at McDonald's or Target?! The end result is the same – money. But you're not passionate about working for those other places. You're passionate about photography! You are passionate about taking pictures. About sharing pictures. Doing so brings an internal sense of fulfillment that you receive in no other way. You love it so much that you would do it even if nobody paid you to do it. In fact, you probably DO take pictures even when you know that it is likely that you're not going to get paid any money for those images.
So let's take a look at how understanding WHY we are taking pictures can help us take better pictures! The first thing we need to do in this exercise is to recognize that the normal person's thought process when taking a picture is something like this: What am I going to take a picture of? How am I going to capture that subject with my camera? The why is never really addressed. Take a look at this diagram (where the blue circle represents What, the green circle represents How and the yellow circle represents Why):
Most people think from the outside in. They know what they are doing and how they are going to do it. But the true “why” of it escapes them.
For example, let's say your best friend asks you to take some pictures of their 2-year old at the park. What are you going to do? Take a picture of a 2-year old. How are you going to do this? You go to the park. You find a place to pose the child. You put your camera up to your face and you press the shutter. You may go so far as to think about whether you're going to shoot the image horizontally or vertically. You may pay attention to the lighting and what's in the background. You may decide that, since the child is TWO, it would be better to let him run around the playground while you chase after him and get some adorable action shots that his mom will love. And what's your why? Because his mom asked you to. Because it's fun. Because you have an afternoon free to do what you find fun and satisfying.
What I am trying to get across here, though, is that there is a deeper “why” that needs to be discovered, acknowledged, and allowed to drive us. I believe that by doing this, we can become better at the art and science of photography. We need to learn to operate from the inside, out. Knowing first WHY we are photographers. Then moving to the HOW part – HOW will we capture any image we take so as to stay true to the WHY of WHAT we're doing! This can be very powerful stuff! So here's the same scenario with this new way of thinking.
You believe that childhood passes all too quickly and recognize that, in a seemingly fleeting moment, children grow up and leave only memories of their innocence and zeal for life. Providing timeless, priceless photographs that capture the moments of adolescence in it's best is how you help the mothers you know keep forever in their hearts and in their homes that innocence and zeal that they love so much about their little one. There's your WHY!! How do you do this? By letting the child run and play in a fun environment. By playing with them. By using your camera without the child even realizing that he's being photographed because all he thinks is happening is playtime! And WHAT have you done? You have given that mother a treasure, a gift from your heart that she could not have given herself in any other way!
Do you see the difference? Do you FEEL the difference? It's all about understanding your true WHY behind what you're doing!
Take the time, put the effort into figuring out why you a photographer. Be genuine and honest with yourself. Would you do it even if you knew you would not get paid for it? Why? And then share with me your discoveries. Write a comment, or contact me on Facebook. Sharing your discoveries will help you to truly identify them. If you can't articulate it, then you don't truly understand it. You want to understand it so that you can be better at HOW you do WHAT you do!!!!
Happy Shooting!
