Inspiration and Magic
I think one of the best things about photography is that it can teach you to “really see”, not just view the world. Our five senses bring in all the information of the world around us, but it can sometimes take an intentional focus to go beyond simply being aware of something you see or hear to truly savoring the experience and appreciating it for the opportunities that it might offer.
Have you ever heard music played in the background while your focus was centered on something else? Let’s say you’re at a local coffee shop and you’re talking to a friend, focused on the conversation. If someone were to ask you later, what music was playing on the speakers, you might not be able to answer. Although you might recall that “something” was playing, you couldn’t give any detail. Contrast that with an experience where you purposefully listen to the same song wearing headphones while sitting on your living room couch. With your eyes closed, focused and listening to every nuance and subtlety, your experience in this case would differ considerably from the coffee shop experience. Same song, what’s the difference? Your focus and “intentionality”. The same goes with photography. Opportunities are all around us, but we rarely take the time to intentionally appreciate every nuance and subtlety, unless of course you’ve trained yourself to “really see”. This is why I think one of the best things about photography is that it can teach you to “really see”.
Photography is an art of practice, even for those with a lot of experience. For practical reasons, you can’t go through life with your focus and intentionality always turned on … but you can try. And for those times when you apply your focus, and an opportunity presents itself and you are at the ready, in both skills and equipment, that is when the inspiration and magic happens. You squeeze the shutter button to take a slice out of time and capture the image so that you can share, with others, what you saw and experienced at that moment.
It’s not how we usually go about our days: focused and intentionally looking for opportunities. It takes time to hone that skill. It takes practice, lots of it. The good news is that it can be learned. With applied practice, a habit begins to form and opportunities that you might have previously missed become clear and in focus more often.
Examples of seeing things that you might have missed are showcased in a Flickr Group and blog called “Faces in Places” by Jody Smith. Over the years, Jody has collected and organized images that he and others have taken of “faces”. These are faces found in ordinary, everyday objects. Faces that others might have overlooked or ignored, but someone took the time to “really see” the faces that were there. Inspiration and Magic.
Click on the links below to watch a video and see some examples of these Faces in Places.
Awesome sight! Can’t wait to become a master photographer!
Great site! Looking forward to improving my skills!
You’re most welcome Stephanie!
Great reminders to really “see” the things at which I’m looking.
Yup, sometimes it just take a reminder to help us see what’s already around us.
Good article. I was out running the other day (in TX) and the sun was coming up shooting sunbeams out across a panorama that included a church steeple and horse paddock. One of those moments I was glad I was intentionally seeing! Just sorry I didn’t have a camera with me.
John, Ah yes, the often overlooked part of getting those great photos: bring your camera with you! Be prepared and opportunities like you describe are bound to come around again, and the next time, you’ll capture them!
The face photos in the blog are very creative and fun. Reminds me of hidden Mickeys @ Disneyland.
I must say that I feel like I “see” photos all the time as I’m passing something while driving or looking at buildings or nature — it’s like my mind processes things in terms of composing a great picture! Unfortunately most of the time I don’t have my camera with me or I’m driving and I think “I have to go back and get that picture!”. I have about 10 of those in my mind right now that I’ve seen in just the last few days. I have not thought of looking for faces in things tho. I must try that! Great article Sonny.
Enjoyed your article. Makes me want To pull out my camera and go looking for photographs! Looking forward to reading more and learning from your photography site.
Great article and a great reminder!
A great website, so informative and filled with both inspiration and information for us “non-camera” guys!! I think we all have “special” moments in our lives that we wish would last forever or somehow we could “capture”. Certainly a picture can take us back to relish and relive those moments! Great article.
Very cool “Faces in Places” video; who knew? Great reminder to be present. No wonder you are such a great photographer!
This is a great encouragement from an excellent artist to increase my awareness of my world.
I am loving this web site and the new pod cast. At last I have something easy to help me improve my photography skills. Finding the time to do it all is my main problem. 🙂
I love the article. It reminded me of how important it is to slow down, and take in the beauty that is so often right in front of you–then point, zoom, and capture it! I’m looking forward to reading the articles and learning how to capture what I see, the way I see it… My pictures rarely come out the way I see it w/a naked eye.
This is encouraging to know I could get better. I liked the emphasis on our sensory experiences and the importance of practicing.
My husband and I take photos all the time and send a “Friday Foto” out to friends each week. You mention that you really have to intentionally look for opportunities. I often have the camera in my purse for that image that “catches my eye”. I look forward to reading more of your articles. Thanks!
Great article. I appreciate the thought of being intentional. I think we miss a lot in our busy lives, and slowing down and observing is a good way to make sure we aren’t missing the good stuff.
What a wonderful article that reminds me to “see” intentionally. I’ve been challenged to be more intentional in several areas of my life and this is one of them. So, thank you for the gentle reminder. I’ve loved watching my grandkids see with young and fresh eyes – seeing the “little” things with great excitement and that’s contagious.
Thanks Sonny for reminding us of the need to “keep our eyes open!”