Take photos. Seriously, I know you have a camera. It’s either your phone, or a point and shoot. Maybe you even have a dSLR. Take photos. Look at the world more carefully. Slow down, take your time, and notice things around you.
I remember early on when I fell in love with photography, I took some classes at Lakeland Community College. I can’t remember which class it was, but one of our assignments was something like “stand in one place and take 10 photos without moving from that spot.” You should try it some time. It seems impossible, but it really opens your eyes. There’s lots to look at.
If you walk around your neighborhood in the late afternoon, maybe an hour before sunset, you’ll see that the light starts to make things look magical. Stop and photograph a leaf that is backlit by the sun. Seriously, try it. Even with a phone camera.
Maybe you’ll find a really cool leaf that’s just fallen off the tree. Bring it home. Enjoy the beautiful details. It’s really incredible when you look closely.
Sometimes, seemingly ordinary, mundane scenes become interesting once you put them in your viewfinder.
Sunsets are cheap and easy. Ok, not everybody lives in Santa Barbara, I know. Everyplace has something interesting, beautiful, unique, and strange, and photography will train you to stop and look and really see. I know it’s done that for me.
I have my illness to thank for my interest in photography. I never thought I would be anything other than a musician untilI got sick. I couldn’t even walk across the room, so I bought a computer and a friend gave me a cracked version of Adobe Photoshop. This was the beginning of a path of discovery that would temporarily replace music as a creative outlet. By the time I had the transplant I had logged thousands of hours in photoshop and I had really begun to enjoy what I was learning and creating. I got a camera maybe 2 or 3 years later and the rest is history. I’ll never give up music. I was born a musician. But being a musician makes me a better photographer, and learning to see the world through a lens has made me a better musician.
So seriously, take photos. (Play music too!)
