Slow down & don’t overthink
Over the last three weeks I realized the importance of slowing down. I took a break from “work” and spend my time recalibrating and looking around for once instead of focusing on certain things too tightly. So welcome to my TED-Talk of a 24 year-old giving life tips on stuff most people probably already know about. Let me start with slowing down (something I have been struggling with for years now).
Slow Down
Just a random analog picture from the summer. Felt like putting it here.
First of all, I know that it might sound weird to talk about finally slowing down at the end of a year where a lot of people were forced into slowing down against their will. I was extremely lucky to have had work/university/something to do for the majority of 2020 and the reason I took a break had more to do with family-stuff, rather than the absence of work.
But I still slowed down. I spend time with family and most importantly did things that had nothing to do with work, not even in the slightest. Up until a month ago especially the second part seemed kinda unnecessary to me, but it helped me gain a new perspective on things. I recalibrated and took the blinders off for once and started to look around. I started to get new and different ideas again and didn’t feel forced into a certain creative direction. So I made things, just for fun. I would love to share some of it, but my friends explicitly told me that most of these “creations” would never see the light of day (probably for the better).
I also understand that slowing down means very different things to different people. For me slowing down meant doing two studio shoots, reorganizing my entire google drive & notes, planning several upcoming YouTube videos, preparing for an insane opportunity, which might happen soon and learning flash photography from scratch. But I also did stuff like reading a book or meeting my sister for coffee and shit like that. So I wasn’t completely doing nothing, don’t get me wrong. But I did less, which in turn helped me realize another lesson while being productive and being creative (especially during the two studio shoots).
All of these images were shot with only one light source (and maybe a phone light as backlight). But nothing more. Crazy right? Just kidding, I know this might seem trivial to everyone else, but for me it was an important realization to which I am currently transitioning into in the smoothest way possible.
DON’T OVERTHINK
So why the hell am I talking about lighting all of the sudden and doing crazy good segues? (I didn’t know it was spelled like that either)
I mentioned earlier that I felt like I was wearing blinders and to drive this point down even more with an even cornier metaphor: Regarding my creativity I felt like I was trapped in a cage that I put myself into. Sticking with the lighting example, I started to think that you couldn’t call it “professional” photography if it didn’t include at least three different light sources with crazy effects, expensive gear and various setups. What’s the point of going outside to shoot in natural light, if you don’t bring external light or reflectors? Why would I take a picture of my setup, if I didn’t turn on my key-light and three other lights to illuminate the room, which otherwise would have never looked this way?
I now present Exhibit A:
Now don’t get me wrong, would I still take the picture like this today? Probably. But for a different reason. I would only shoot it this way again, if I wanted to, not because I felt like I had to. I somehow managed to get so far down this weird road while wearing those fucking blinders to where I could only think creatively in a certain way. It was to the point where I didn’t see a reason in going out to shoot, cause I didn’t have some piece of equipment or ideal lighting & weather conditions. This is the wrong way of thinking and it took me a forced break to realize. And to phrase the lesson I learned in an even more philosophical way, I’ll summarize it really simply and of course in cursive: Equipment should serve your creative vision, not dictate it.
While you don’t have to come to the same realization about lighting setups and the use of equipment, I solely want to encourage everyone who reads this (yes, all three of you!) to stop and take some time to look around. Trust me, it’s worth it. And maybe you’ll realize something important as well. And if you do, let me know!
And lastly I felt like taking pictures in my room without any extra lighting. Just ambient light. Why? Because I wanted to (and I needed a cover picture for this blog post).
P.S. Can’t wait to share more about the new “opportunity” I mentioned earlier. If everything works, this will easily be my biggest project yet, so stay tuned (or whatever you say at the end of a blog post).