I have a horrible habit of wasting so much of my
present moment time constantly thinking about everything and everyone! If
you are like me, it can be so difficult to focus on what I’m doing right now at
this exact moment (just caught myself thinking about something I need to do as
I write this article). I’m constantly distracted by thoughts and most of
the time these distractions running through my head are about what has already
happened or what may happen in the future.
So, what does this have to do with photography? Everything!
Clear those distracting thoughts
Try to lose yourself in the present moment by focusing
and concentrating on what you are doing at that moment as you
engage your subject. Being completely present will allow you to be fully
engaged and to see your subject with a new and exciting perspective. How
do you do this? It takes constant practice, but it can be done! You
must first be aware of all those distractions in your head. Importantly,
try not to stop those thoughts from flowing, just be aware of them and notice
them and as you watch them, they will simply fade. With practice, it does
work! The key is to be aware that you are distracted and that you are not
focused.
Don’t over think or try not to think at all
I admit this was difficult for me to understand at
first. We have a greater intelligence than all those thoughts racing
through our head. For example, have you ever encountered a situation
where you just reacted in the moment, you knew what to do without obsessively
thinking about your next move? Well, imagine yourself in front of a
subject (I know this requires thinking : ), your head is clear, no distracting
thoughts, you are fully engaged and you know it’s the right opportunity to
capture or you instinctively adapt to what you know will be a better
opportunity. We are more than our thoughts and those distracting ones get
in our way and fog our ability to see clearly.
It’s not necessarily about the product
I think it’s important to clarify my philosophy on
photography. For me, it is a life experience and it’s not necessarily
about the final outcome although I certainly enjoy sharing and viewing the work
of so many wonderful artists. Our goal as artists should be to get lost
in the process of creating, not worrying about making money or whether our art
will fit a certain mold or get a certain number of comments. These
thoughts are distractions and keep us from our full potential. I
have not mastered what is written in this article, but I practice as much as
possible and I do think it has made a difference in my personal style and I
hope you will find this article of value.
Jason Lowry is from Eastern North Carolina and is
obsessed with moody and dramatic black and white art. Jason Lowry digital-photography-school
All
images © Jason Lowry
photographer
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