There is a common misconception that certain people can just go and make amazing work all the time. It simply doesn’t work like that but it’s easy to understand why people come to believe this of others. The social media age that we live in only shows the best of what we have, so reading this as an accurate representation really is a bad idea. This is just the best bits of what people want you to see. Yes, sometimes there are more vulnerable moments that people share but that only comes along every so often. So, what was the world like before this? Well, we had books – remember those? They only showed the best bits of a photographer’s work, a polished project that has taken years to complete, but we all understood that and accepted it. (Sticking with the idea of books, if you want to lift the vail and have a look what’s going on in the inner works, then I’d highly suggest you get yourself a copy of the Magnum contacts sheet book. This shows the best bits but also the work / photos that have led up to that great and often iconic photo).
We aren’t intimidated by books as they have a quieter and gentle appeal that sooths the creative soul. Maybe something to do with the timeless nature that is less daunting. Whereas the hammering of the content online that demands to be consumed and shows you everyone else doing something right now while you sit there, is overwhelming. Should I be out there now making the best images of my life? – it certainly feels that way. But what happens when we let go of that? Stop being bombarded and just breath. Some people decide to eject themselves from social media to have a break, for me it’s an understanding that ‘what I’m doing right now is right for me’ and its ok that other are on exciting parts of their journey, in fact let’s celebrate that, they have worked hard so they can be rewarded (as long as they aren’t show boating about it constantly, yes lets celebrate but I’m not getting any pedestals out haha!).
This all leads me to the thought process of less pressure and as the title suggest – the love of photography (and creativity for that matter). I’d like to share with you this very process that I went through this weekend when I was producing some new work. I took a trip over to Lincoln, a place that I often struggle to make images around. I have accepted this, and I don’t put any pressure on myself to make work. What I did instead was just enjoyed the process. I walked, I looked and when something started to make sense to my eye, I raised the camera and tried to figure out a frame. I was drawn to the colour down a particular street and noticed that it had potential for me. On this occasion, all the elements didn’t line up and I wasn’t able to make a frame that I was happy with. I still very much enjoyed the creative challenge and that process of taking the frames. I have decided to share the image below so you can see what I was going for. Some of the elements were there for me but this frame isn’t quite right for me eye.. and that’s ok. I will try again another day – my next image is out there, and I will sniff it out.
Take the pressure off and enjoy your process.
