5 Seconds to Better Photos
Today I’m going to teach you how to get better photos in just 5 seconds.
This is not a tips and tricks guide on photography itself.
This is a mindset video.
A mental reframe.
The Problem
The problem is not that you don’t know how to take good photos.
Far from it.
The problem is that you have a clouded mind.
You see, the key to creativity is a clear mind.
When you’re out taking photos you’re faced with all sorts of things:
you have all the thoughts going on in your head
you have all the visual and sensory cues of the outside world
you have your own worries and fixations: your insecurities, problems from your job, what you’re going to do next, something someone said that bothered you, etc
And we haven’t even gotten to taking the photos themselves.
So when you’re taking photos you’re not actually focused on taking photos - your mind is elsewhere.
You’re simply not present.
Okay, so what can we do about it?
Using Creativity to Clear Your Mind
Creativity is a form of release.
In a way it allows us to forget our problems and other stuff because our focus is singular, our brain is quiet, and we are present.
And then whatever flows out, flows out.
That time when our mind is quiet is often when we create our best work.
That’s the area I try to tap into every day when I’m doing work.
So you can use creative things to clear your mind.
For example, writing allows me to sort through the thoughts in my head.
The same goes for drawing.
Focusing on creative tasks like these allow me to quiet my mind.
However for photography, I find the opposite way to be more effective.
Lets talk about that.
Using a Clear Mind to Be More Creative
Start with a clear mind, then get better photos.
This is the backwards relationship between clarity and creativity that I mentioned earlier.
Unlike writing and drawing, for photography, I find myself needing to clear my mind first before I can begin to take better photos.
This is because photography is a little different - it’s an observational art.
You have to be present and pay attention.
So if your mind isn’t present and focused on what’s in front of you, you’re going to miss the moment.
You’re not taking pictures to clear up your mind, you’re taking pictures to show what you see.
And so if your mind is elsewhere that means you’re not “looking”.
If you’re not looking then you wont be taking good photos.
This isn’t a black and white thing by the way, sometimes photography can help me clear my mind, but 90% of the times if I’m thinking about something else I’m not taking good photos.
Practical Solution:
Here’s a simple reframe.
This is what I do when I have a cloudy mind while I’m out taking photos.
I either stop everything I’m doing and treat it like a walk.
So my priority becomes to walk and clear my mind, not photography.
This is because trying to do both at once usually results in me doing both mediocrely.
So I default to forgetting about photography and just going for a walk because I know trying to take photos with an unclear mind is going to be worse for me.
But what happens if the day is really nice and I want to take good photos but I’m distracted?
I use a 5 second technique that allows me to quiet my mind.
If my mind is still busy after this, I do it until it’s not.
Ready?
Quiet your mind.
Close your eyes.
Take a DEEP breath.
Count to five.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Exhale long and slow.
Let everything go.
Slowly open your eyes and ask yourself:
“What do I see?”
Now you are on your way.
So that’s it, I use this all the time and it really helps.
If this was useful, please share this with a friend that may also find this useful.
Thanks for reading.
