I messed up the shot. I had one chance… and I blew it.
Then I did it again.
And again.
And again.
Dammit. I just couldn’t get it right.
Honestly, the only thing more off than my timing was the focus – and the only thing worse than the focus was the exposure.
And you know what?
I absolutely loved it!
I loved the struggle, the frustration, the expense (we’re talking pre-digital here) and the waiting several days to see the results!
Ok, so that last bit isn’t true – the cost of buying roll after roll of film and the developing process were, frankly, tedious!
But all of this made me hungry for success, hungry for progress, hungry for the confirmation that I was on the right track and not simply wasting my time (and pocket money).
I was 14 years old, a keen amateur photographer. With no pressure to perform other than that which I put on my own shoulders, it was the perfect learning curve.
Why am I telling you this?
Well, roll the years forward and I am still taking pictures – but this time often with HUGE pressure to perform on my shoulders!
I still love it!
You can’t learn this stuff in a book. It’s a practical application and you need to be willing to fail.
Through making so many mistakes, learning my craft the hard way and valuing the importance of patience, I unwittingly set myself up perfectly for a life of serving others with my photography.
Ultimately? I’m now able to help these people reach the goals they set out to achieve, too.
And that’s pretty cool.
Tell me why you love what you do.
.
