Working With What's There

Let's talk about almost not stopping.

Instead pulling over. Shooting what most people drive past.

We don't need fancy locations or special getaways to recognize and create beautiful photography.

We only need to be open to the things that are usually overlooked. Missed.

Neglected and ignored.

This post isn't about epic sights, stunning locations, and breathtaking views. This is about working with what's already there. We don't need permission or collaboration. We only need curiosity.

How do we find something in nothing?

Well, a lot of wandering and remaining open to the possibilities. Often, many of my shots don't match what's in my head. Also frequently, those shots turn out better than what I had envisioned. Sometimes, they're quite ugly. That's part of training your eye - where the light shines, how the shadows fall - that's part of growth. Successes and failures.

It's sometimes difficult to see images before you take them.

Sometimes the image doesn’t exist until you move toward it.

Until you slow down.

Until you risk looking a little ridiculous on the side of the road with your camera pointed at something no one else would give a second glance.

That’s the uncomfortable part. Not the shooting. The stopping.

Because stopping means making a decision. It means choosing to see what others may not find visually palatable.

We’re so used to thinking beauty requires effort, travel, money, permission.

But most of the time, it just requires attention.

The crack in the glass.

The oil-stained metal.

The light catching something worn and ordinary.

Nothing changed about those things.

I did.

These photographs weren't about finding something extraordinary.

They were about proving I don’t need extraordinary to create something meaningful.

Sometimes the only difference between “nothing” and a photograph

is whether you decided to stop.