Travel, Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone, And Accidentally Elevating My Photography Skills

Standing on a side street in Paris, I raised my camera to take a photo of a street scene, and quickly realized I was going to have some unique challenges on this trip. I typically photograph nature, and while there are pockets of nature in the middle of Paris in May, it is not the main feature. While Paris itself is undoubtedly highly photogenic, there are also countless vehicles and people wandering everywhere. They are unavoidable, and have this very annoying habit of wandering into the camera frame, incessantly. It became apparent in very short order that taking the photo I was wanting to take would mean working with variables I was not used to working with. It would mean stepping way out of my comfort zone, and I was not happy about it.

One of my own personal biggest frustrations with photography is dealing with variables that I can't adjust to my own specifications. I'm a bit of a control freak when it comes to photography, and there's often a lot that I can't actually control in any photographic venture. Sometimes it rains when I want it sunny, or is sunny when I want a moody atmosphere. Sometimes the wind makes a particular shot almost impossible. It can be very irritating at times, and more often that I want to admit, my initial instinct is to throw in the towel. But if I did that every time things didn't go my way in photography, I would have to abandon it altogether. Over time, in order to stay with photography, I had to learn that I can pause, I can sit with my frustration, and I can then find a different way. Maybe I find an alternate way to approach the initial photo, or maybe I decide to set aside my original plan and take a different photo altogether. Photography has taught me many things that translate to life in general, and this ability to rethink when things aren't going my way is one of the most valuable.

But in that moment in Paris, my default assumption was, in fact, that I would not be able to take the photo. Maybe, not able to take any photos on this trip. I didn't trust that I was up to the challenge, that I could find ways to take a good photo under these conditions. I have very little experience with street photography, and I wasn't at all sure I could figure it out, especially on such short notice. However, I also really wanted to be able to take photos of this trip, and the idea of not being able to broke my heart a little bit. So after a short tussle with my frustration (and self-esteem), however, I decided to see if there was a way I could still do it.

Street photography requires the same basic steps as any other kind of photography. Take in the full scene in front of you, with all the elements, and then decide what elements you most want to incorporate, and what elements you are going to have to work with, whether you want to or not. If I was going to photograph a landscape, and the atmosphere was not what I was envisioning, taking in the scene means figuring out how I am going to work with the current conditions. Determine the composition and lighting based on what you are actually dealing with, not what you thought you would be dealing with.

Photography is a great lesson in acceptance. You don't have to like the conditions you are given, but if you are going to be a photographer, you have to find a way to deal with what actually is, rather than getting stuck on what you were expecting.

Travel comes with some of the same benefits. You don't always know what you are going to be encountering, and your ability to enjoy the experience depends in part on your ability to flow with what is in front of you. You don't have to like the conditions, but fighting them isn't going to improve your experience. Learning to work with what it, however, can significantly improve your experience, whether it's travel, photography, or life itself.

Standing there on that street in Paris, I decided to take a shot on myself. I knew that street photography was not my comfort zone, but neither was nature photography at first. The only way it became my comfort zone was because I gave it a try, and I approached it with curiosity rather than judgment. The only way to grow at anything is to give it a try, and learn from your mistakes. So, I took my photo, and I gotta be honest with you, it kind of sucked. It was not a good photo. But I kept trying throughout that weekend, and while I didn't like a lot of the photos I took, I did find a few that I was pretty happy with.

But I think what was even better even than the photos I took was the fun I had experimenting with a type of photography I don't usually do. Once I got my head around the idea of dealing with the vehicles and people, I found that I liked the challenge of doing something different. Did it change my photography? Maybe, maybe not. We'll see. But I do think it breathed new life into my photography, it gave me a new area of play, and it reminded me that I can wade into unexpected challenges and come out with something fun. Because after all, if creativity isn't feeling like play, then what's the point?