Finding A Connection

Ice, Hudson River / Canon 60D, 0.5 sec @f/18, 17mm, ISO 100

A very familiar location, but always enlightening to realize how infinitely variable it can be. Whether composition, light, mood, feel, or most importantly my own willingness to see these things clearly. That for me has become the biggest challenge, as well as the most rewarding aspect of landscape photography, especially in familiar locations. The willingness to be open to the moment, and see more than what is apparent at first.

I can talk about how I setup my tripod, or what camera settings I used, or whether I used a filer or not (I didn’t). But that distracts from what’s really important to any successful image – did I have something meaningful to say.

Find a connection first, something that makes you want to share that with others, something you think about day and night, all the time. Then you’ll be able to touch something deep inside, something that makes you really think and feel. That to me is where the real journey begins. The technical will take care of itself real fast when you find that connection.

“Art isn’t a result; it’s a journey. The challenge of our time is to find a journey worthy of your heart and soul.” – Seth Godin