Don't Forget Why We Create

We create to inspire. To share. To exemplify the best of our experiences. We aim to push what’s already existed, always discovering and exploring the next mountain range or finding that perfect, secret, spot in the middle of nowhere. We join together in collaboration to hopefully bring about good for those around us. To share stories of people’s pasts, the lessons learned from those experiences, and then look forward, excitingly, for what’s to come. 

As creators there was something that inspired us to begin; something that caught our attention and hasn’t let go since. For me, it’s the vastness of untouched wilderness and wild unknown. The Blue Ridge mountains just have something special about them that call me back time-and-time again. The swiftness of rivers and waterfalls create a since of awe and wonder. The wide-open rock faces that expose some of the best views at highest altitudes. This is why I love capturing. This is what draws me. And the best part of photography is that everyone is inspired by something different, with a different process and perspective.

This game of searching for and finding a new area is something that excites many photographers. It can be fun and what attracts many of us to taking pictures but can also become a cycle of unfulfillment.  

When I started out, any remotely "cool" or "awesome" picture I took got me excited. The more I began shooting the more my focus shifted away from what started it all in the first place. I was going to places only because I had seen cool pictures others had taken and I wanted to get THE shot; the one that got a lot of likes or others would see as “impressive”. I went with the main intention and concern of getting that same picture someone else had posted, that I was missing the view, hike, or adventure while being right in the middle of it. My focus was so narrow that many times I left frustrated because my pictures weren't turning out like I had planned, without any regard to the awesome hike or great view I had experienced too. I was letting the small, quality moments go by without a second thought. I was going after the photograph and not the experience. 

I don’t bring this up to say don’t go to the picturesque spots or stop taking pictures. By all means go! I’m sure it will be sweet and its always exciting snapping that awesome photo. My hope is that those experiences in-between would not be missed. We have to be careful that whatever initially drew us to this hobby/job/passion hasn’t become overshadowed because of a concern of making sure we get that perfect picture. It can be an endless, unfulfilling cycle that ultimately wastes these experiences. These are moments we won’t get back and some locations we may never get the chance to visit again. Go with the excitement of getting that awesome shot but also remember what started it all. You went because you enjoyed doing it before you had a camera. You went because you liked seeing the sunset fall behind the last ridge or swimming in the waterfall after a long hike. Make sure that draw towards outdoor and adventure doesn't lose value.

 I always make sure I take time to put my camera down and enjoy what called me there in the first place. Don’t let photography take quality out of spending time with your co-explorers and truly being immersed in the experience. Get those stellar shots while also taking moments to sit or walk or take-in what these places have to offer, away from the camera. That picture you take will have 1000x more meaning if you are present in that experience.