The other day I was discussing photography with a group of tour participants and a comment was made extolling the VIRTUES of it. I made an immediate connection to the 7 Virtues.
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I’ve always been an admirer of clever twists on words. It’s used in advertisements to hook potential customers. So here’s the connection: the other day I was discussing photography with a group of tour participants and a comment was made extolling the VIRTUES of it. I made an immediate connection to the 7 Virtues. As the conversation grew more and more profound, I knew I had the makings of an article I wanted to share using the hook of how I can connect the 7 Virtues to photography. I fully agree with my tour participant praising the virtues of photography so here’s my twist. This week I will cover three of them. See last week’s Tip to see the initial four I targeted.
Have faith in what you want to do photographically. Give yourself a reason to believe that you will grow in your ability and that you will never stop learning. Even the most seasoned pro has a lot more to learn. There’s always a new twist, a different angle, or an untried piece of equipment to keep every photographer on his or her toes. Those who believe they know it all stagnate and never progress. Don’t become one. Have faith in the choice you make before you press the shutter that a great image will appear on the LCD. Have faith that your subjects will be in good spirits and in good light. Don’t lose faith when these aspects don’t come to be. The accompanying shot of the paraglider is of my son. I had faith that he would make the right decisions while he was flying and he had faith in me to capture a good image. I’ll continue to have faith that he will be safe in his flights and also have faith that when the cards are on the table, I’ll make the right decisions to capture the best possible image.
HOPE: “placing trust in one’s promises and relying on the strength of oneself and others.”
Hope is certainly a virtue tied into photography. When we grab our cameras, we hope the light will be good, we hope we won’t have a mechanical failure, we hope the subjects will cooperate, etc. If hope didn’t come into play, the challenge wouldn’t exist. If we were guaranteed to always come back with a great shot, it would remove the thrill of the hunt. Hope is what keeps us motivated and eager to get back into the field to make the next great image. Depending on our moods, hope can be stronger at certain times. Human nature comes into play that dictates its strength. Losing hope will be reflected in your images. In the accompanying image of the God rays, the message is all about hope. Challenge yourself to create an image that says “Hope” and view it each time your hope quotient drops below an acceptable level.
LOVE: “selfless, unconditional, and voluntary loving kindness.”
I love photography and everything about it. The places it’s brought me, the things it’s enabled me to see, the people it’s brought into my life, the ways it’s allowed me to impact others, etc. make me very glad it’s a big part of my life. There are many connotations associated with the word love and each of us have different stories that relate to their love of photography. I love to take pictures, I love to teach what I know about photography, I love the fact that photography has provided me with much happiness. Think about your story and what your love of photography means to you. How has it impacted your life and made you the person you are?
To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Photographic Nature Tours. Visit www.russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, pick up a copy of my book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.
