MY EYES ARE ALWAYS CHASING LIGHT,
I mean, be it the tool that allows them to see- but over the past couple years, I’ve realized that I have grown more and more aware of how Light interacts with the world around me.
And a big reason for that, is well, you might have probably guessed it: Photography.
I’ve been shooting film for like 8 years now. There have been many blank rolls, improper exposures, mediocre compositions, and out of focus shots for a good portion of all of that (ouch to my bank account) but it wasn’t until recently that I’ve realized how much all the considerations I put into my work now affect my day to day perspective.
In my spare time, I reflect a lot.
Whether it be about myself, the path that life has taken me so far, people I’ve met, things I’ve had to revisit, etc.
And over the course of the past two years, I’d say there’s been a lot more of that self-reflection.
Granted, I can give some credit to COVID for providing ample time for all that- but at the same time, I feel like my photography has drastically improved within that same window.
Now, I am a man of the sciences and I know correlation does not mean causation…
However,
Has my understanding of how film works, and the philosophies I’ve tied to it translated into the way I operate my mind and carry myself?
I believe it has.
See, Light is a VERY powerful tool. Powerful enough that as animals on this planet, our bodies adapt to it itself!
Our eyes bow down to its presence when it’s too strong for us to handle, and opens up to it when we lack its warmth.
It has the potential to make normal things, absolutely astonishing.
We can look at a building, and see an object with some surfaces, maybe a couple edges and texture- cool.
Now add Light to that same subject and watch the magic happen.
It obtains dynamic, shadows, a depth that wasn’t there previously, it pulls you in and we marvel.
And that is how my mind operates all-the-time.
I’m driving, and I’m looking for Light.
I’m walking, and I’m looking for Light.
My brain has been hardwired and is on a never-ending search for Light.
It’s interesting because it ties in to my emotional philosophy that I call “Backseat Perspective”
Where I, the “driver”, hop into the backseat of my “vehicle” and observe all that goes on around me from my position:
Neutral, observant, and attentive.
Following Light all this way has taught me a lot of things and has given me many opportunities in the fact that I am able to apply these concepts outside of photography.
It’s allowed me to connect more to people.
When I’m talking with friends, loved ones, colleagues, or strangers,
I’m not just heavily engaged in the conversation via audio, I’m invested in the experience itself.
I hear the way they talk, I feel their emotion, I catch the way the 5pm light from the window graces the skin on their face, and to me-
That is quite the honor,
and I am thankful.
