Today, I’d like to take a charity break to discuss gear, to chat about something that I find much more important to understanding photography.
When I graduated from college, my sister gave me a book. It’s called “Who Moved My Cheese” and was written by Spencer Johnson. I want to give you an in-depth review of the book. But the truth is I never really bothered to read it. For one, I wasn’t much of a reader at the time, unless the material in question was a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. And second, the title of the book confused me and made me believe it was some sort of cartoon about a rat that I was clearly too mature to read at 20. Of course, all of it. are all meaningless. My sister was prophetic in providing me with that book, because the lessons in it, regarding how we respond to changes in our lives, are exactly the ones that most adults don’t. will find themselves struggling at some point. But, instead of getting this first ticket, I instead started pursuing my art without the notion that one day things might change.
In general, there are two types of artists. This is a very broad generalization. But, on the one hand you have people who make art just for the fun of it. There is no real expectation of financial return. If the work they produce sometimes deserves to be displayed or garner their periodic acclaim, that’s all that comes first. But, really, art is a passion or hobby that is the opposite of the center of their lives.
The second type of artist is also passionate about their art. However, in the case of the second artist, occasional applause is never enough. They want a certain amount of authenticity to their craft. Perhaps this comes in the form of steady income or industry reputation. They view their work as not only having artistic value but also monetary value. So often, success for them can be measured by the names of the clients on their ledgers, the daily fees they charge, or the prizes they win.
It is clear that there is a large collection of other artists living along the spectrum between these two. So you might not fit into either category. I think I’m in the second camp, but slightly leaning towards prioritizing art over money (which is often bad for my career). But I’m simply using these two classifications as a starting point to explain why it’s really hard for any of us to really get there. Anywhere can be “there”.
The reason why being an artist is a never-ending journey is because we exist in an ever-changing state. My father is a doctor. He attended medical school in the 1960s. Had an amazing career where he was able to move up the ladder based on what he learned in school as well as on the job. There have been major technological changes in science during his sixty-year career, but these changes have occurred gradually over time. Art, as opposed to a more formal field like science, develops at a much faster rate. The whole point of art is to create something new. Therefore, being an artist means constantly searching minute by minute for a better way to tell your story.
There are certain technical things that have not changed much. The definitions of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO/ASA haven’t really changed much since they came out. But the way to use and manipulate those concepts is constantly being enhanced and changed. I started my career with a fully manual film camera that is almost 40 years old. Now, every photographic tool I buy appears to be obsolete within six months because of the rapid pace of technological change.
The market itself doesn’t move any slower. When I first got into the business, social media was in its infancy. It’s a potential add-on for clients, but not something that needs to be the focus of my attention. Several decades later, the social network continues the conversation, opening new opportunities and creating new obstacles along the way. There are completely different categories of work available to photographers these days. Influential people. Content creators. The categories, if they were so prominent when I first started, might have made me choose another career. Or, perhaps, approached the same profession differently.
While all these environmental changes are taking place, perhaps one of the biggest obstacles is the inevitable change we will have to go through as artists over the course of our careers. me. I can think of many major changes in my life that have led to success as well as serious mishaps. I started my career as a filmmaker. I have no ambition other than to be the next Braveheart. Through a series of events too long and accidental to list here, I shifted my focus to still photography. That shift paid big dividends both financially and creatively. But the emotional tug-of-war between my love of filmmaking and my love of still photography has always been beneath the surface. Over time, my remaining clients began to request more and more moving pieces, which allowed me to actively collaborate on both sides of my artistic brain. But, it also opens the door to the question of which form I like best. And what deserves my attention the most? An age-old question that I have long struggled to deal with. Now that my career has shifted back in favor of directing and cinema with stills stepping back a bit in order, I once again often find myself struggling to balance my focus. that I dedicate to each work. Questions that I thought I had asked a long time ago seem to keep coming back. Only now, with a much more dramatic form, as market conditions for both have changed dramatically since I first had my dream of becoming an artist.
I don’t mention this to make it seem like I’m special. Rather, I simply take this as an example of an artist’s journey. The technology around us continues to push us further to try new things. The markets in which we operate often force us into crossroads that we may or may not want. And the burning desire within each of us causes our goals to constantly change. Our cheese keeps moving.
This is one of the hardest things in an artist’s life. But it is also one of the most powerful invigorating ways. As we try to define our business plan and approach to life, we know that things can change in an instant. A new technology may be invented. A possible global pandemic could completely turn the way we do business. Or, our own evolving need as artists can suddenly make our objective success seem merely a stop in the road.
Art is learning. Learning is one thing in life we never get enough of. Photography and art is a never-ending journey. And it shouldn’t be any other way.
