Photography is mental and physical.
It’s Sunday morning and I am drinking coffee as usual. I was good and went to bed last night so I could be productive this morning and get this blog post out. Right now I’m trying to lay ground work for the kinds of things I want in the future. There are things I want to be a part of and see happen. I like productivity. It feels good and you’re getting something done. There is another side to it though. I don’t want to be busy just for the sake of being busy. I want my work to contribute to something as I said, and I have to find some meaning in it. As I have said before, I am a full time teaching assistant at a charter school in Boston, MA and I am running a professional photography and videography business on the side. Things have been going really well. I have my health, and by other graces, I keep getting photography work that I enjoy and want to do. It has been challenging a bit on my brain and body though, with a full time school schedule and working photography on the weekend. Initially there were some things that I might have overlooked. Photography is mental and physical and you have to take care of both.
I don’t think anyone saw life in the pandemic turning into a total watch party situation at work and for hanging out. The whole world is on zoom right now or some other form of video conferencing app and while it serves its purpose, I’m zoomed out. I tell my students I have mash potato brain after 3 p.m. and they laugh, but there is a seriousness to it. It’s not natural to have your attention pulled in that many directions, plus keeping an eye and ear on the kids that are in class and having to check back in with zoom, it gets a bit tricky. Staring at screens all day is doing something to us even if some don’t agree. I feel it in my brain. I miss human interaction the way it was, but aside from that, I have been way more conscientious about what goes into my brain and what my eyes are focused on. The negative drawback to this school zoom mode has definitely been me not wanting to look at my computer for photos. Photography and data management take concentration and lately I have very little for it after school. It’s been one of those cool frustrating puzzles that annoy the hell out of you while you do them. I have simply been asking myself, well when is it gonna be time to do this? For someone who is not typically a fan of routines, I see now how they came into play. You have to get things done in a somewhat systematic way if you’re gonna do them consistently and that’s where I am at. I love photography and I have some ideas I really want to create and expand upon and that just takes time and effort, I definitely need my brain for it though and right now I have to find it again. I think that is also why I came back to the blog. It’s another way for me to share, but also be accountable to myself, while building my brand and company. Writing for me is exhilaration, release, and gratification when I can give myself enough time to enjoy it. It’s also another one of those things, I’ve learned I have to just do. It’s a mindset. Protect your mind. Reserve your time for things you wish to do and improve upon. Allow for things to change if they help you better. Look at what is working and not working for you mentally. You need to be able to think and communicate clearly in order to carry out your visions. Do what you have to do in order to make that happen.
Yesterday was a beautiful day both weather wise, but also creatively. If you read the previous entries, you might know that I recently got asked to do some work for a bigger client than I usually work with. This was amazing for many reasons. Yes, my work will have the chance to be seen by a larger audience and that is amazing. The really dope part to all this though is to be involved in the conversations and processes that have led up to the actual photo shoot. This is also why you must protect your mind and space. This project has been phenomenal in a host of ways. But like any project it has had its hiccups and hurdles that we have had to address. You definitely need a rested mind to be able to think creatively and keep it open and flexible to adjust to changing situations. Things might not have gone so well if I had not taken the proper steps to make sure I was mentally prepared for the challenges and the task at hand. It’s a constant checking in with yourself, your schedule, your loved ones, and your commitments. A notebook or calendar or both definitely helps.
There is another point to yesterday as well. I went out again to shoot with a model and the producer of the shoot. It was a dope day and we got some great shots. It was also a second shoot done to make sure I had the right shots for the client because the first shoot was cool, but I didn’t get everything I wanted. I really want to make sure this client is happy with the work. I want all my clients to be happy and overjoyed with the work I do. I think we all should want that for our work that we give to clients, but also we are making things with our names on it. I don’t ever take for granted that I am in a field where my work speaks for me even when I am not talking or present. Now that being said, it was another day of mentally solving problems and physically moving in the world in order to capture these different visuals we were trying to achieve. I think I forget sometimes how much I move. I have to stop doing that. I move a lot. I woke up the day after like I was doing sprints. I did do some sprints. I played multiple games of fishy fishy cross my ocean with my fourth grade class on Friday for like a half hour. I was definitely the shark multiple times too. So my Friday school activities on top of Saturday morning crouches for cool shots and walking blocks for angles, definitely has my body sore as heck. Photography is a physical activity and don’t forget, You should prepare your body for the movements and level of activity you are about to endure so that you can. You should also give your body proper recovery and rest. That means, stretching afterwards if you have to (which you should do and I’m learning). I have also gotten back into the habit of taking baths because I just need to for my legs. Sidenote, I’m playing some Japanese music from the 80’s it’s kind of wild and cool; it might be my new writing joint with chakra music and hip hop intermittently. Gotta switch up the inputs sometimes you know? Alright back to the body. It’s imperative that you take care of yours if you are really looking to get into photography. I would also suggest doing a workout that suits your needs and schedule and keeps you fit. After yesterday dealing with my camera and lights and walking and moving a couple of things, I really do feel the tightness in my body. It adds up, especially if you had a Friday and Saturday like I did. Please take care of your body is all I can say. The world needs you to keep moving and thinking with that camera!
It’s Sunday morning and I’m about to drink another cup of coffee. I’ll get some water in later and do more stretching because my legs still feel like taut cables pulling a heavy load. My knee feels a little better than it did yesterday and that’s a blessing. Had some friends over last night, but had to go to bed early because I was so tired and sore; I also wanted to be able to wake up and get this out. My mind was tired from a day of planning, shooting, collaborating, uploading, editing, and other life stuff. My body was sore from all the walking and crouching no doubt. I came home and I think I took a nap at some point. Oh yeah, naps have become my friend. They might become yours too. I think the rest of the day will be mild movement and only relaxation. I’ll probably take a break now and get back to my computer later to edit some more photos and organize some more material for other projects. I also have to wake up and workout in the morning before school so that my body can be fit for what my camera has to capture. As photographers, we just have to be ready. I’m slowly learning the process that works for me. I hope you are finding your routine as well. It really helps your entire work flow, when you can find a rhythm that supports your mental and physical health. I hope you stay safe and shoot something dope!