Rising early, I prepare for the day. Bundling up to stay warm, I grab my camera and head to that perfect spot. With a deck chair and a warm blanket, I seat myself where the bulk of the ship blocks the wind but the view is unobstructed. I stay in that spot all day long, taking photos as the ship slowly floats through Glacier Bay National Park. This is my happy place.
While other passengers found a happy place by challenging themselves to a polar bear plunge in the pool, I stayed cuddled up with some hot chocolate, keeping a sharp eye out for the next photograph to appear before me. I held on to that spot until forced to go to dinner with the family. It was glorious.
How can I find this happy place in the studio?
When the right subject is in front of the lens it is both energizing and relaxing. On rare occasion, I have found that happy place in studio. It is always about having a good relationship with the subject. We have agreed on a plan. We trust each other. Everything else fades away and we create.
To get to my happy place in studio, I need you to communicate with me. I need to be better about asking questions and giving direction. That comes easier when we talk to one another candidly. Such candor does not come easily to me. My personality butts head with my creativity all the time. More recently, my vocabulary fails and I struggle to to verbalize the story I see forming before me.
The road to the stories I want to tell with my photography is in sight. I can see the smooth path, but I cannot speak it into being alone. Help this artist find the path. Help me find the words that lead to the images I know are there, waiting to be captured.
While we’re on this topic, what can I do to help you find your happy place?
