“Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be to be accepted. Belonging on the other hand, doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are”. Brene Brown – The Gifts of Imperfection.
This quote speaks loudly to me about the photographer I have been trying to become. For a long time I have looked at photographs the “experts” have said are fantastic and I haven’t been excited by them. I have often wondered why I don’t get it, perhaps I’m not creative enough, perhaps I missed out not having an arts background, perhaps I’m simply not good enough?
I have started attending a creative photography class to see if I can develop this appreciation and instead I think I have learned something far more important. When I shared that I simply don’t get some of these supposedly incredible pictures one of the other students gave me some incredible insight. She said photography and art is like music. Do you like all different styles of music and all the songs? Of course I don’t and now I think I get it; it is OK to like what I like and not like that which doesn’t appeal to me.
Coming back to the quote, I was trying to fit in because I really want to be a good photographer. The better path is to be the photographer I am and be grateful for what I already have and may be others will agree my own style isn’t so bad. Ironically, the creative photography class might just make me more more creative but not in the way I was thinking!
Here are some pictures I took last weekend as I tried to break the rules to fulfill an exercise from the class. I shot them at the Nike campus in Beaverton with a special lens called a Lensbaby which gives me to opportunity to blue parts of the picture. The weather last Sunday was very dull and uninspiring and so I thought the blue treatment acknowledges this. I hope you find them interesting.
Right you are, Andy. And I for one love the photographer you are. Keep it coming.
My dear friend
What a beautifull pictures and i love your quote ,btw Many artist were famous Many years laters after the y died but you know what the y didnt care cause their art was the way the y speak to the world
Change the topic when we can talk i’m planning my trip to colorado and i wish to see you and robín so lets explore the possibility
Hugs
Jorge