Shoshin & the Art of Photography.
I’m writing this on a whim.
Normally, if a subject for a new piece of writing comes to mind, I write it down on my main list of topics. When I feel ready to write a blog post, I select an idea from the list and get to work.
Recently, however, I have had Vacation Brain. I’ve got a big, big trip coming up at the end of this month. I’ll be far, far away for 10 days, exploring some places I’ve always wanted to visit. It’s all I can think about! There is a lot of planning I still have to do, which is very consuming. I didn’t want to neglect my writing, though. So why not write a little something about the trip?
I am a very goal-oriented person, and I love a challenge. Heading into this big, big trip, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to accomplish while I’m away. Here are some ideas:
Shoot 20 rolls of film and take at least 500 photos.
Stop being stuck in landscape mode → take more vertical photos.
Be more reactive. If something catches my eye, just take the picture.
Broaden the scope of subjects I photograph.
It’s so easy to cling to what’s comfortable. For me, that’s horizontal photographs of nature that are well planned out and can take a long time to compose. Honestly, I tend to overthink my photography, and it can suffer because of that.
A recent photo showing my usual style. What if I had done something differently?
I’m considering this trip to be a way to really grow, personally and artistically. By aiming for the goals listed above, I am pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I am doing things I don’t normally do.
I want to think less. I want to photograph more. I want to hold the camera a different way. I want to include people, buildings, and cars in my images. Sounds simple, but it will be an active effort to do something different from what I always do.
I want to get unstuck.
I want you to think about the ways you might be stuck, too. Do you only photograph a certain subject in a certain way? What do you do all the time that would be difficult to break away from?
Consider shoshin, Beginner’s Mind– a Zen concept meaning an openness to new ideas or approaches; a willingness to learn without any preconceived notions attached.
You might think you’re an expert at something. Maybe you are. But when was the last time you tried something a little different from the usual? What happened? Did you learn? Did it change the way you thought about your own work?
By challenging ourselves to break away from what we always do, it opens us up to new possibilities. It allows us to change, to grow, to learn, to become enlightened. I guarantee that the results of leaving your comfort zone will astonish you. I am personally amazed by how much I have changed and grown over the past decade, simply by doing new things.
A quick photo I took in 2020. Did I have shoshin then? After this first image, I took a few others that were more thought out. This one was the best.
Doing new things and leaving your comfort zone takes a certain level of courage. Maybe it feels like taking a risk. I understand that completely.
Truthfully, this type of work is all about baby steps. If you’re a little afraid to do something, take it one step at a time. Each step is a win. Applaud yourself for your hard work. After some time, look back at how far you’ve come.
Even if your goal is just to change something about the way you photograph, you’re embracing shoshin. It will build a new awareness of your own habits. It will build an appreciation for your own strengths.
Not every photograph taken in this new way will be an award winner. But that is how we get better. Trial and error, experimentation, leaving that comfort zone–these are good things.
Perhaps you can take a reflective look through your recent photos. Make notes about commonalities they share. Are the compositions fundamentally similar? Are you always photographing in a certain orientation? Do you only photograph people, or plants, or the ocean? How can you challenge yourself to be different?
While I am embracing this spirit on my big, big trip, I hope you will think about the ways that you can embody shoshin within your own photography practice.
