Perfection is just a distraction, yet another excuse to not do something. I tell myself this sunrise isn't good enough anyway, it's not foggy, it isn't even cloudy. All I want is to watch a few more reviews so I can choose a new lens and camera.
Photography is messy and chaotic, and that's the fun part of it. We need to embrace the uncertainity, make it part of our daily lives and create every day.
I love the default Notes app on iOS - because it synchronizes across all my devices, it's like having a notebook always with me.
One of the ways I use the Notes app is to capture all my thoughts and ideas, in whatever form they might happen. Every day, I create a new note and I start filling it with everything the day might bring: from a rough schedule of how I expect the day to go, to notes from books and articles I read, or podcasts I listen to, including images of stuff I find interesting, inspiring quotes, audio recordings of ideas that come to mind, and in general, anything that goes through my mind that might be useful or inspiring in the future.
Every once in a while, usually on the weekend, I'll go through my notes and pick the most interesting parts. This is how I come up with ideas for my videos / blog posts, places I want to photograph, and how I learn (some of the things I write down are good starting points to research more about the topic).
Inspiration comes from action, so start taking photos. Allow yourself to make bad photographs, do it for the sake of it, with no purpose in mind. Art is more about play and less about thinking.
There's always a new app that promises to make you more productive. When it comes to note taking and writing in general, I think I've tried dozens of them over the years. No more, I'm done wasting time.
My favorite app, by far, is the default Notes app on iOS / Mac OS. It's basic, and I love that. It does what's supposed to do, and no more. It synchronizes across all my devices, so I can script a video on my computer, draw something in that same note on my iPad, and add new ideas from my phone during my walks.
It's also free.
Productivity isn't about finding a new app / trick / life hack. It's about using what we already have, right in front of us.
I haven't released a new Image of the Month image in months, due to the coronavirus and the release of my book Becoming an American. So I decided to release 3 of them at the same time.
The first one is Moon, an image I made during the lockdown that kept us stuck at home for months. The sky became one of my favorite things to look at, especially the night sky. And there it was, of course, the Moon.
The Room is an image made back in 2019, during our first night in Chicago after a while in the countryside. It always shocks me how much light there is when the night comes. Even from our hotel room.
The last image is Couple. Made just before the pandemic hit, I had no idea I would spend the next few months observing these two storks who had settled in on top of a pole the previous summer. They are a young couple, and I witnessed their return from faraway lands to what they must call home, how hard they worked for weeks, and how they raised their first baby stork. I hope to see them again next year.
Remember: there are two sizes to choose from, 6x6 and 8x8 (inches). In both cases, the matt and frame are 12x12 (this means a bigger margin for the 6x6 print).
Shipping is free to the US. International shipping is a flat rate of $14.95.
A new image will be released every month and offered at a reduced price during that time. After 30 days, it will be sold at full price. They will never be on sale at any time in the future, the rate during the first month will be the lowest, ever.
You can find more information about how I create my images and all the details about pricing on The Art and Craft behind my prints.
These three images are available for purchase here.
I bought a new camera.
Actually, I bought it 3 months ago. I didn't mention it here or anywhere because the last thing I want is anyone thinking they need a new camera -or even worse, the camera I bought- to create good images.
But a few people have spotted it in my videos and asked about it. I also want to be as transparent as possible when it comes to what I use to make my images, so here we go.
Read MoreCreate everyday, no matter how small, and your portfolio will end up being impressive.
Be consistent, stay healthy, and put the effort.
Results to our hard work are often delayed; in photography, they can be delayed years in the future. But they will come.
Keep shooting.
A couple of years ago, the furthest I was able to run was around a hundred feet. On a good day, I might have been able to do a couple of push ups. A 5-mile hike felt like a huge achievement, deserving of a few beers and a week of rest.
Back then, those were my limits - I had never pushed my body to go beyond them. I thought running, push ups and long hikes were for somebody else, athletes, people who had had better luck than me in the DNA lottery. Nothing I could about it.
Thankfully, at some point I realized there was a lot I could do. I was never going to make it to the Olympics, but I wanted to see how far I'd be able to go.
Today, I know I can run 10 miles without much problem (I expect to run my first half-marathon this week). I know I can do 100 push ups every day... because I do them. After the Camino, I also know I can hike for 25 miles a day for a whole week.
Nothing impressive, but I'm very proud of my progression in the last couple of years. I'm in a much better shape now at 38 than when I was 20 - and I can't wait to see how much further I can go from here.
They say we are stronger than we think - we are. But we can get even stronger. Limits aren't fixed, they can be pushed further away, wherever you might be right now.
This can be applied to almost everything in our lives. There are so many limits we haven't tested yet - they can be pushed as well. This is how we grow.
I love reading physical books.
Most of them, though, only serve their purpose for a few days. Once I'm done with them, they become both a waste and a burden (my semi-nomadic life means I can't bring them with me). Reselling or donating them is the only option -if you can find anyone who wants them, that is.
This is why the vast majority of books I read are electronic: there's no waste and bringing them along is not an issue. But I miss the paper...
Libraries are the answer to this problem. In general, libraries here in the US work so much better than the ones I've used in Spain. Even though you might have to wait a few days (or even a few weeks if the book is popular), you get access to a huge catalog of physical and electronic books, plus a big collection of audiobooks.
One of the first things I did once my quarantine was over was to visit my local library and renew my membership. I also grabbed a few books, of course. And I have a few more on hold that should be on my way from other branches all over Indiana.
This way, I get to read and enjoy the paper version of the book, and return it for someone else's enjoyment. There's no waste, and no need for more storage.
If I like the book, I can buy the electronic version to keep as reference / for future readings.
We are back in the US. This was our experience traveling during a pandemic.
I had big plans for 2020. Like everyone, I suppose.
As fate would have it, we were supposed to leave for Ireland the same day the lockdown happened in Spain. That trip to Iceland and the UK got cancelled, as did the trips to the Alps and all the hiking I was planning on doing in the American West.
Life goes on, though, and after spending months of lockdowns and big restrictions in Spain, it was time for us to come back to the US. Officially, we live here, so we had to. Also, we hadn't seen our family here in months. Airports opened again and we were able to book a flight - who knows how long this window will remain open, if things get worse it might have been our only chance to come back.
Traveling felt weird, very weird. Our first flight was packed, and being around so many people for the first time in months was an experience. Seeing Heathrow so empty was chilling. But boarding a big Boeing 787 on an intercontinental flight with just other 20 passengers was something else.
Anyway, we are back.
Planning the rest of the year is challenging. We will stick to the US and there will be no flying involved. We are looking for a used car that we can take on a trip to the West in a few weeks. I'm hoping to be back in Oregon / Washington for a couple months during hiking season, then down to Southern California / Arizona in the fall, and back to the Midwest by late fall or early winter. I do look forward to photographing the snow and frozen lakes.
All of this can change overnight if the pandemic goes out of control again and states start to restrict movement. That's why I will need to be even more flexible this time around and plan only a few weeks ahead of time.
I'm excited, though. I miss my family, the dogs and farm life, of course, but I can't wait to hit the road again.
What a beautiful day of photography at the coast! It was so packed and productive that I learned 7 lessons I want to share with you.
Many times, while I photograph, I lose track of time. I forget where I am. I don't even realize until later how cold it was, or how wet my clothes were from the rain.
It's when this happens that photography feels like meditation. It's not a mystical experience -rather, it's about being fully aware of your surroundings and focusing on the present moment. Forgetting about what time it is, which day of the week it is, why you are even there. You feel at peace.
“The greatest events are not our noisiest but our stillest hours” - Friedrich Nietzsche
In meditation, the breath is the anchor to the present moment. In photography, it's composing an image. For a few moments, nothing else matters - I hold my breath, I'm alone, I can feel what I'm doing, I can see the image.
Photography done this way encourages mindfulness, you can find a quiet state of mind by surrendering to the process. Through patience, photography compels you to see, not just look.
And it's then, when we see, that magic can happen.
A chilly and foggy morning spent in the woods. I love having this weather in mid-June!
"The unseen is what fuels the imagination" - Om Malik
Have you ever wondered why readers who like a book usually dislike the movie version of the same story? In most cases, this is because no matter how good the author is and how many words they use to describe the characters and the places, a book is a non visual medium and in the end it relies on the reader's imagination to fill the gaps. Every reader will live the story in a unique way, making it more engaging and personal. On the other hand, the movie gives up almost everything with its visuals, every person watching it will see the same, there's not so much room for imagination.
Even though photography -like films- is a visual medium, there are some ways we can spark the imagination of the viewer. This will make them stop while scrolling down on their Instagram feed, or stare at the image a bit longer in an exhibition. When we get that kind of attention, that means the image works.
Black and white, removing details from the shadows and highlights, using the weather to your advantage, shooting at night... are just some of the techniques we can use to make our images a bit more obscure. In the video above, I show you an example.
Try to create intentional gaps in your images, so the viewer has to use their imagination to fill them in. By making some things go unseen, you'll be adding more to the image.
Related: Hint, don't show, 5 ideas to make images in the fog.
“Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work” - Chuck Close
I've said it many times, but it's worth repeating it every once in a while: we don't take photos because we are inspired, we become inspired because we take photos.
It's by acting and doing that we get motivated and inspired to create meaningful art. Some times, that means we have to push ourselves a little bit to get out and work. While it might sound hard at first, it's always worth it.
I love compact cameras. If you can fit it in your pocket, you can bring it everywhere with you, and that means more chances to shoot, thus better images.
Andrew from Frozenwaste.land and I sat down (virtually) and had a chat about photography, my new book, and other stuff. Check it out: Becoming an American: Adrian Otero Vila (aows).
