Open the Door to OCF Success
Photography is supposed to be FUN, NOT PERFECT.
You are supposed to be enjoying the process.
Yeah, I said it!!
That’s the whole reason you wanted to be a photographer I hope.
If not, this message is not for you, and I’m not offended if you keep moving along.
In the process of having fun, you will ideally be creating “picture perfect” moments for your subjects, of course…
But, if you’re STRESSED about your light, and you’re not having a good time, two things happen:
❌ You are not in optimized learning mode.
It’s science. If your brain is in a state of anxiety, fight or flight…it’s NOT in a learning state. You need to be learning as you are shooting, because every scene gives you feedback to learn how the light interacts with your subject and the final image you’re trying to create.
🎨You cannot be at your maximum creativity.
Fear is a powerful block to new ideas. If you’re working through anxiety, you’re missing out on creative potential. How can you execute a good idea, if you are having anxiety about how it will look or turn out?!
Disclaimer: I’m not talking about the normal amounts of eager/anxious excitement that so many experience as part of creating. I’m talking about FEAR that you are struggling, not knowing what to do, and having endless frustration loops with your lighting.
If you are not having fun, how can you change this? How can you move past it to mastery?
PLAY!
Take the flash OUT of the stressful environment.
The stress is when you have a person in front of you, who needs you to perform and create. So don’t do that.
Put your flash behind a cardboard box.
Stick it outside a window.
Put it in your fridge.
Take it on a walk to the park and light up a tree.
Sit with it in your lap on the couch (or in bed) and point it at the ceiling fan.
Just push buttons and see what happens.
(Spoiler: there’s actually no self-destruct button on a flash.)
Learn to have fun with the light and see it as just that—a light. (Not your mortal enemy!)
And if you’re not having fun, by the way, it’s also totally ok to take a break and revisit the idea…or a different idea. Or no ideas and take a nap. Naps are also an underrated part of the creative process.
Everyone’s showing their amazing final images. But, that’s not the only fun and fulfillment you can have.
You can have fun by just PLAYING with it. It doesn’t have to be anything special at all.
