Effectiveness and Perseverence.

When I look back on my own march towards effectiveness in my photography, I see a number of factors that have traditionally led me astray. While I am a good photographer, and I know this, I am often reluctant to let others know this, and my self-marketing presence goes woefully unnoticed in conversation. This is definitely a focal point of my efforts going forward; I will mention to everyone in conversation that I am indeed one of the finest photographers they've ever met, and would be excited to have them commission me for a portrait. That is step one.

Now for step two. Step two is short for perseverence, which I think is one of the most important skills a photographer needs. It is one thing to be a good photographer, but it is another to get out there photographing when the urge is not upon me. I must now embrace the concept of GOYA, aka Get Off Yer Arse and create. Better to create an average image than to be the best photographer who never takes photos!

Step three. Gratitude. Being grateful for what you have, what has happened, and who you are surrounded with, is more than just happy thoughts. It is critical to staying open to new ideas, to understanding how much we really have been given, and to maintaining peace of mind. How often has something occurred which at the time, seemed irritating, inconvenient or downright bad luck, but ended up being a good thing? I'm going to guess: many. Leaving late for work and driving past an accident that just occurred. Being driven out of a bad job, then finding a much better one. Our perceptions can be so focused and narrow, we sometimes miss the broader picture of what is really happening. And being grateful just keeps us grounded, so that when opportunity presents itself, we don't discount it by saying, "I can't afford that", "I'll never be able to do that", or "That's not the way we do things here".