Paul Lester Photo

Today’s topic, as it applies to photography, comes from The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success:

In detachment lies the wisdom of uncertainty … in the wisdom of uncertainty lies the freedom from our past, from the known, which is the prison of past conditioning.

And in our willingness to step into the unknown, the field of all possibilities, we surrender ourselves to the creative mind that orchestrates the dance of the universe.

This rather hit home with regards to my photography. Sometimes I have trouble dealing with uncertainty. Not in my career, or potential career as a photographer, but in the act of taking pictures, or more to the point, of which subjects to choose. Sometimes, I play it safe and go for what I know; however, in reading this and thinking about the times when I have stepped away from the safety net, it was exhilarating.

When we adhere strictly to that which we already know, we close off opportunities for growth. I would say that historically, I like to deal with landscapes, macros, etc; however, after stepping into the land of ‘people’, a place that was flooded with uncertainty, I feel that I have grown as a photographer and as a person.

This is certainly not to say that one should not hone ones skill through repetition, but that we should not limit ourselves, in anything, because of uncertainty of the outcome. We should be detached from the outcome and simply enjoy the moments of uncertainty which are surely to come along.

At first, this may seem like it is against goal setting, but it is not. It is tightly meshed with goal setting, but having its primary focus on the moment at hand, but not on the outcome. It’s believing that the outcome will manifest itself, if we pay attention to the moment at hand. We are executing the plan and believing in the outcome. We are not attached to the outcome, though.

Detaching from the outcome in photography, for me, means detaching from the expectation of what I will get when I go out to shoot. I just go out and try to enjoy those precious few moments and shot whatever happens to catch my eye, whether it be plant, animal, building, or person. It allows me to be more free. I’m still learning.

What does one have to do with the other? Creativity and judgment?

I read a number of spiritual based books and, therefore, they cause me to think a bit differently sometimes. One recurring theme throughout those books is that judgment prevent us, as people, from connecting to each other. We are quick to deliver the right/wrong/good/bad verdict before we even know the story. Further, this begs the question as to should we deliver the verdict at all. I now say no.

Each morning, the first thing that I say to myself is that “I shall not judge anything that I see today.” This, indeed, is a tough assignment. I have found out that I am constantly meting out judgment and that when I don’t do it, my mind is calm and I feel no need to control everything.

Well, I’m off to participate in the world and not judge it! Being a judge is hard work and I don’t want any part of it!

So, what does this have to do with photography? Good question! How many times have you judged an image as having no potential before you even depress the shutter button? You walk up to a subject that has attracted you for some reason, looked at it, said to yourself that:

• Someone’s already done it.
• Someone’s already done it better than I can
• I’m not talented enough to pull that type of shot off
• It wouldn’t make a good shot

Now, these are my own internal judgments on both the subject and my abilities. You may have your own set. However, they are judgments and we have told ourselves NO before we even get the opportunity to say yes. I’m not saying that we should shoot things willy nilly, but I am saying that if something has called your attention, go ahead and shoot it for a bit. Work it. Who knows, you may come up with a way of seeing that no one else has.

So, how can we even be creative with this constant monologue going on? We have to be open to experiment and we have to find a way to calm the ego and assure it that we know what we are doing and that everything is going to be fine.

Do your photos near the end of the shoot look a lot better than at the beginning? Mine sure do! I think it’s because I have gotten into the zone, or accessed that silent place and allowed myself to become more free. It’s a place where I’ve turned off the judgment and began to operate.

About the shots: Two shots that I almost talked myself out of taking! I’m glad that I didn’t take my advice!