it amazes me every single time
because most of these shots are in focus and properly exposed
not only that, but they are immediately available
post processing is something very accessible, easy and fast today
and we can share our images with the whole world instantly from the field
clearly, technology has made photography much easier and faster nowadays
but many photographers think and believe that this is not necessarily a good thing
while many film photographers have embraced the convenience of digital
others think that it is too easy and too convenient
even though I am part of the first group, and I have embraced digital for my photography
I can see the point of why making photography too easy can be detrimental
that's what we are going to be talking about in this video
that balance that I believe exists in photography
and in many other aspects of life
and how we can find our own
because this is something very unique to all of us
indeed, technology has made photography much more convenient in many ways
not only has it removed the technical difficulty
but it has also made it much cheaper and accessible to everyone
as you might know, I shot exclusively on film for a couple years
using a big and chunky medium format film camera
while I sometimes miss the more tactile experience
and the slower approach that it forces you to take
I do not miss the weight, having to meter every scene
having to carry a tripod with me on every single trip
worrying about how many shots I have left in the roll
or about messing something up while developing the film at home
so it is tempting to describe all of those as the disadvantages of film photography
or the advantages of digital photography
but I don't think it's that simple
you see, making something too easy has downsides
and digital photography can definitely feel very boring sometimes
repetitive, and less of a craft
there is a balance we must find here
I believe that photography should be hard enough that is engaging
but also not so hard that we feel overwhelmed
we need it to be challenging enough that we feel like we are working
hard to achieve the image we want
while it being not so challenging that we feel it's unattainable for us
have you ever played Tetris?
it is by far my favorite video game of all time
anyway, if you haven't, this applies to any game
you see, usually the first levels are the easiest, so we can get used to the rules of the game
over time, as we progress and we become better and better at playing the game
the game becomes harder and harder
this is because if the difficulty didn't increase, we'd get bored really quick
but it has to do so in a gradual way
because if the game became too hard, too quick, we would give up fast
this is a balance a game designer must find:
the perfect match between the abilities and the
skills of the player and the difficulty of the game
because it is at that point
at the intersection where our skills at doing something match the difficulty of the task
that we experience the most satisfaction
so in Tetris, at the beginning we feel like the pieces are falling too slow
but gradually, the game speeds up
eventually, there comes a point where our abilities at playing Tetris
match exactly the speed of the game
it is pushing us, it is hard, but we can still do it
and in fact, every piece we land successfully at this point feels much more rewarding
than the ones that we were landing at the beginning, when it was too easy
for a few seconds, you feel amazing
because it makes you feel like you are good at the game
before crashing you, of course
I think this can be applied to photography, where something very similar happens
photography is most enjoyable when our abilities
match the difficulty of the shot we are attempting to take
so, in making our photography process harder than it could be
in a way, it's like we are setting obstacles for ourselves to overcome
we fabricate this artificial struggle because we like to
experience that overcoming of the obstacles
because it feels rewarding
because it's hard, but we've done it
this is why photography can be so fulfilling
there are very few things in life that match our abilities
almost everything is either too hard or too easy for us
but because of the wide range of cameras available to us today
and all of these situations we can put ourselves in
we can tailor our photography experience
and that's why photography is an activity that anyone can take on
because we just need to adjust the difficulty level to our skills, to our abilities
so, how can we do that?
how can we construct our photography to be there, at the sweet spot?
neither too hard, nor too easy, just perfect
well, I'll tell you what I do
you know I like to photograph in bad conditions
in those situations, even the simplest and easiest tasks can be very challenging to perform
the difficulty bar is pretty high in those situations
so I try to level the field, to lower that bar, to where I am, to my level
by using a digital camera with a super zoom lens
so I don't have to switch lenses that often
and I use automatic modes and autofocus
I only have to worry about finding a good composition, a beautiful subject to photograph
and about not killing myself, or hurt myself, because those situations can be very harsh
but if the conditions are nice, if I have plenty of time
well, then I will use a prime manual lens or a film camera
I will also be more likely to do long exposures that require a more sophisticated setup
this way, every situation is challenging, for different reasons
but I feel like I am pushing myself when I do photography
that makes the process more engaging for me
so it doesn't get boring
it's like Tetris, I'm trying to keep this game
at a point where it feels challenging, but I'm still able to do it
at the point where my abilities operating the camera and my physical condition
match the conditions out there and the scene that I'm trying to photograph
even though I love hiking and walking in general, I've always been a big fan of car photography
that's why when I saw this tweet from Ben Horne not too long ago
I knew that the answer would be "quite a few images"
these are just some of the many images that I've made
over time within just a few hundred feet from the car
why is this?
well, obviously, with the car we can travel farther in a shorter period of time
so we're gonna have more chances to take more photos
but I think it goes deeper than this
I think that we all have limited energy, and the more energy we spend on getting somewhere
on setting up the camera
on all the things that we have to think about before even pressing the shutter
the less energy we are going to have to find a good image
I think this is why I rarely make good images on long and strenuous hikes
not only because the place is not as accessible and I can't be there at the best time
but also because my mind keeps thinking about the way back,
about if I have enough clothes, enough water, enough food
about the drive back home, is it getting dark? do I have lights? is it going to be safe?
photography is not necessarily the priority in those situations
but when I'm next to the car, I don't have to worry about any of those things
I don't have to worry about the logistics, it's all about getting the shot
this is just another example of lowering the bar enough to meet us at the right spot
where everything fits together nicely
I'd love to know what you think about this
do you make your photography harder on purpose, so it feels more rewarding and more engaging?
do you prefer to go the easy route?
or maybe somewhere in between, it depends on the
situation and where you are and what you are trying to photograph
in any case, I hope this video was useful
before letting you go, I just wanted to really quick highlight the work of Eric Muhr
one of my patrons, a big supporter of my work
I'm also an admirer of his photography because
it takes me back to when I lived in Oregon, a beautiful place
you can check him and his work out on his Instagram page and on his website
and of course, thank you to all of my patrons
and to you, for watching this video
I hope to see you in the next one