forever a beginner
When we first get started with photography, the world is filled with possibilities. As we narrow down our taste and study the work of other photographers, the world shrinks proportionally.
Seasoned photographers become really good at making the images they already know how to make. We tend to prefer the same subjects, the same angles, the same light. We repeat that which has worked before.
While we might be able to create great images that way, they will all start to look alike over time. When we limit what and how we photograph, we limit our work.
Forget about the camera, forget about the final image. What do you see? Become a beginner again: remember that time when there were no rules to follow or expectations to meet, when everything was just fun.
Unlearn your photography, and never learn it again. Stay a beginner.
new images
new videos
catching up: prints, books, camera gear, digital negatives, and more
I’m back on YouTube after a break for the holidays. And we need to catch up: I got new prints, I bought a few new books, I talk about my camera gear during my recent road trip, I don’t know what to do with my old negatives, and more.
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few" - Shunryu Suzuki
When I first moved to the US, I found myself in an environment that was unfamiliar to me in many ways. Mundane tasks like going to the grocery store were filled with new experiences, and I had to pay attention to everything that was happening around me. I was seeing the world through the eyes of a beginner who had to learn a few new things.
Over time, I got used to this environment. I no longer needed to keep my eyes and ears wide open to do some grocery shopping, I could just engage auto-pilot mode.
Something similar happens with our photography. When we are starting, everything is new, anything has the potential to become a great image. Then, we start acquiring habits. We gravitate towards the familiar, what we know is more likely to provide a good image.
To keep our eyes and mind fresh, we need to embrace the unknown and put ourselves in novel situations every once in a while. Situations that awaken our eyes and minds from that auto-pilot mode.
Never stop experimenting, never stop exploring, never stop making mistakes, never stop failing. Forever a beginner.
Thank you so much for being there, talk to you next week,
Adrian