Brian and I returned from shooting a wonderful wedding in Moses Lake, WA and I was inspired to give you an exercise to trust yourself in photography. We were flown into Spokane from Seattle (a whole 40 minute flight–I know. We are totally spoiled!). Then we drove about 90 minutes into complete farm country. You know you’re in the middle of nowhere when your three choices for eating are Denny’s, Sheri’s and the cafe at Shilo Inn–and the cafe at Shilo Inn looks the best. 🙂
Our groom is a Portuguese dairy farmer. We had the most fascinating conversations with their family members. And wow, we had the best BBQ and salsa dancing I’ve seen in a long time! Dairy farmers know how to SALSA! And confession time, I have to admit it was nice getting a little break from puppy training. The kids went to Grandma’s and Prince Phillip and Rosie had their own sitter spoiling them both all weekend. Brian and I feel rested, refreshed, and ready to start another week of puppy potty training! 🙂 Thank you for all your tips when we introduced you to Rosie! We have already learned so much from what you’ve shared!
I’m excited for you to see the whole wedding, but there is one image I can’t wait to show you. I was taking photos of the bride’s wedding dress and the sweetest little flower girl was practicing her twirls in the background.
I was trying out the Sony 350 with these shots because we have the 35 mm that will go down to a 1.6. I wanted that extreme, low aperture so I could enhance the dreaminess of the little one twirling. And the color on the 350 is FANTASTIC! But did I get this shot on my first try? Not quite.
She was actually twirling in another part of the room, and I thought she was so cute that I had the idea to open up the windows and let her twirl in front of the windows. I wasn’t sure what I was wanting, but I knew there was something to be captured with the vintage wedding dress, bright window light, twirling flower girl. I also felt like this image was about feeling dreamy, not perfect detail or perfect lighting. What would the end result be, wasn’t sure yet–just had this sense.
Creativity is often like this, don’t you think? Your not sure what it is you’re envisioning, but you know it’s there. You can just feel the quiet nudging inside.
I love how Julia Cameron wrote, “Artists are visionaries. We routinely practice a form of faith, seeing clearly and moving toward a creative goal that shimmers in the distance–often visible to us, but invisible to those around us…” She goes on to write, “Art is an act of faith, and we practice practicing it. Sometimes we are called on pilgrimages on its behalf and, like many pilgrims, we doubt the call even as we answer it. But answer we do.”
How many of you feel called to a pilgrimage of photography? How many of you doubt the call even as you begin to answer it? Â How do you learn to trust yourself in photography?
I think the toughest, most challenging part to being an artist is one thing and one thing only. It is trust in yourself. Trust that the pilgrimage you desire is not vain or a waste of time, but it is real and meant to bring you joy, wholeness, and restored wonder. Trust that those little nudges or shimmers I see in the distance when shooting a wedding are real and alive only waiting to be found–even if it’s invisible to those around me.
The painful truth is we have all tried trusting these quiet tugs inside us and at one point or another found utter failure as a result. We have all experienced listening to that inner voice only to end up feeling embarrassed in the end. Or maybe you come from a past like mine, where you trusted another person only to be victimized. How could you ever trust your sense of judgment again? Where do you begin?
I don’t often give these types of photo exercises, but I think it’s vital to practice this no matter what form of art you do. It’s an exercise of “exercising” your trust in your creative self.
Find 45-60 minutes this week where you can take your camera and practice “art as an act of faith”. Take pictures of your kids playing, or your pet, or nature around you. But allow yourself to be quiet inside. Have your camera on Auto mode if that will help you relax. Focus on listening to your inner voice. Look for the shimmer inside you that sees the world in a unique way. Try capturing the shimmer. Try following those quiet nudges. And when you feel uncomfortable and awkward remember, we are practicing “art as an act of faith”. Faith is the key component.
When you’re done, look through your images and see if you can identify something different. Write down what that different thing(s) is. I know this is a very abstract photo exercise, and it won’t make sense until you are in the midst of experiencing it. But go with me on this. 🙂 We are working at acknowledging those shimmery things we see in the distance. We are working at trusting our inner, creative voice. And if you are comfortable, email me and tell me how this exercise to trust yourself in photography went on my Facebook Page.
Let’s shimmer this week in a way we never have.
For more fun photo exercises, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese , our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, or for details on spots left in our upcoming Workshop , click on the words of your choice!
This is awesome! I am a person of faith and usually before every shoot I ask for “help from above” so to speak. It is amazing when I am quiet and not freaking out, how much He really does help me with those quiet unctions. He wants to help me and cares about my photography too. This post helped bring me in remembrance of lots of things that were becoming distant…thank you!!!
Absolutely breathtaking and very inspiring!
Jenny
http://www.shutterbugkeepsakes.com
Me ra,
Thank you so much for all of the encouragement that you give so many of us. I am a beginning beginner 🙂 and I’m so inspired by your life and your work. Thank you for being REAL. Blessings to you, Lora
such a sweet photo!
i’ll try to do the exercise this week. 🙂
MeRa, Have you read Art And Fear? The text you quoted reminds me of it, and I bet you’ll love it/ Check it out!
We lived in Spokane a few years ago, that’s actually where Wendy and I met. I’m excited to see it again in your pictures. What a beautiful dress and you captured all of it’s possibilities with your vision. This photo and post remind me of a few of the things that intrigue me about your work. One is that you confidently execute your visions, and it shows. Another is that you listen to them in the first place, and recognize them for their value.
I love this exercise, for me art is a complete act of faith. I feel my way through and sometimes that’s scary but most of the time it brings me a wholeness I get with nothing else. From your workshop in April what I’ve realized is that I need to create to live, whether it’s taking photographs or writing about them…
I recently felt this renewal of faith when I was digging through some pics of my daughter Natalie in Lightroom and playing with them. They were just shots I had taken with the girls as I was trekking around looking for new spots to shoot. So when I was taking them it was more about the location and didn’t have the purpose of getting great shots of my girls. But what I found when I B&W them was that they were a beautiful representation of her…her expressions, her daily vulnerability at the awkward age of 9, her goofiness, her loveliness.
Anyway, probably my favorite blog so far. I think my struggle is finding the faith when I HAVE to do a shoot, because without the pressure I feel my work is so much more a representation of me. So I think for this challenge I will push myself out of my comfort zone and schedule a session that will push me to put aside all my preconceived plans, my rules of how to do it right, and just listen to whatever my inner voice is being led to do. WOW I’m excited, let’s see what happens…
Good Morning Me Ra,
Thank you for this post. I have been having a degree of overall anxiety in life, issues of faith and yes, photography too. Your words are like a soothing balm. The timing is amazing to me, before reading your words, I had just finished a quite morning with coffee in one hand and Gods word in the other. Trying desperately to find calm and a fresh start to a new day. Leave it to our two dogs to interrupt the stillness. While letting them out to go do their business… I notice the sunrise! The next 20 minutes was spent in absolute solitude and awe capturing the the beauty of light. It is in moments like these when Faith is alive and all is well within me. I will be posting the sunrise on my blog. Have a blessed day!
Wow, Me Ra, you have no idea how much I needed to hear this today.
I really struggle with this issue. I am still at the point where I don’t trust that I am capable of doing this and that I don’t feel worthy to have success at it. I have managed to convince myself that most of the good shots I get are due to luck. And “who am I to think I can ask people to pay me for this?” How sad is that?
Just recently, I was at a party and a woman asked me if I was a photographer. I just stood there, embarrassed and not sure what to say. Thank goodness my wonderful in-laws were there and all jumped in and shouted, “YES, SHE IS!!!!”
I think I (and probably a lot of women) need work on speaking more kindly to ourselves and having faith that if we love photography and taking photos, that we are being led there for a reason.
Thanks so much for, once again, putting beautifully into words something with which many of us struggle.
hey there…
so, i’m going to apply this to songwriting since i’m not a photographer. lately, i’ve gotten in touch with the fact that i’m in a rut as it applies to songwriting. i’ve thought about it a lot and can’t quite put my finger on a particular reason for the slump. i even get ideas now and then…but then when i get the time or in the right place….nothing. maybe i’m not trusting myself to write, out of fear of failing or sucking( 🙂 )…maybe. so…i’m going to try this exercise for this week….although, i think the MOST challenging part will be finding that 45-60 min. i’ll let you know how it goes. take care.
What a wonderful post and message that I really needed to hear today. Doubting the call is my constant struggle, it’s such a woman thing. This blog post embodies what is so amazing about you and the gift you give at your workshops. When I think back to our time in Sonoma it is not the technical things we learned that stick out (although those were great)but the wonderful discussions about these feelings that all of us in Sonoma (and I am sure many others)were sharing. Are we good enough, when can we really call ourselves photographers? Finding the balance between the shimmer and tugs may have to be my goal for the month of August. They seem to cancel each other out all too often. This amazing community you have created is such a wonderful tool in helping to keep that shimmer shimmering!
Can I get you down to Santa Cruz soon to share this message?! I’m not giving up yet!
Me Ra – It was so nice meeting and getting a chance to talk to you and Brian. I can’t wait to see all of the images from the wedding! You’re work is absolutely beautiful and your words are so inspiring!
Thank you,
Raquel (sister of the groom)
I’m so glad this post is connecting with so many of you. I was afraid that I had been to abstract. In fact, I woke Brian up and asked him to read the post before it went live. He commented on the fact that the post itself seemed to be my own exercise of seeing something shimmer. He could tell there was something I wanted to communicate, and I was trying to get there as through my writing. And wow, some of you were able to see that something shimmering too. What a wonderful gift you’ve given me today. Thank you so much for all your comments and confessions. We are so much stronger together than alone.
And Michelle, I haven’t forgot about coming to Santa Cruz. 🙂 We need to set up a phone appt. I’ll email you today.
xoxo
oh I love this one! Really beautiful photo – The whole post definitely struck a chord in me – I was just thinking just those same things this weekend – I tried new things at a shoot with an 8 day old baby and some of them ended up being a disaster, but some of the other different shots ended up being my absolute favorites – being disapointed in the ones that didnt turned out was nothing compared to being thrilled to see the ones that DID turn out well.
What an amazing photo and post. I’m so glad I found this blog! I can’t wait to dive into the rest of it.
This photo is poetic. One of the best I’ve seen in a long time!
And Julia Cameron’s insights are also so poetic, a perfect accompanying thought for this image.
Another favorite: “What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us.”
– Julia Cameron
Cheers for shimmering and playing and growing, everyday into the people we are called to be.
Love you guys and so wish I could have been in Seattle with you all!!!
What timing this is for me too! I’ve been trying to do some things lately and have just had them fall apart and I’ve been bombarded with, “Who am I to think I can do this?” In fact, we tried to do family portraits the other night while all of us are in town and I was so depressed and discouraged (okay, and whiney) and I couldn’t figure out what I was doing. I felt like a total failure! (Granted, it’s really hard to feel like an aspiring professional photographer when your camera is pointed at you on a tripod with the stupid timer on… And you can NOT make an 11-month old look at a camera on a tripod on cue!)
But the spark, the shimmer, is still there, I am still seeing things that I desperately want to photograph and I think I’m just going to say, “Screw it if people think I’m a weirdo!” and take my camera with me to some little spots I’ve noticed.
I can’t even wait for Chicago, because I’m getting to the point where most of my issues are figuring out which setting to use in which condition. I’m saving my dollars for the add-on day and the DVD set, but I just can’t wait for Chicago and to meet you and give you and Brian hugs and learn sooooo much.
You captured such a BEAUTIFUL image! I love that little girl twirling. And while I love looking at beautiful photography (your’s is the best!), I think I get SO much more from your writing that I can’t find anywhere else.
♥
(PS: Forum? 😉 )
You sure did hit the nail on the head with this one! I am VERY new into photography, but I hope with every ounce of my being that my interest will grow into a business one day. Self-confidence is something I have always struggled with, in just about every aspect of my life. But I also have had a warm “feeling” about photography for the last few years…almost a gentle tug! Finally got a camera, so I’m learning about it, next step is getting out there for experience and not feeling intimidated. Your words were so encouraging, and they brought a smile to my face.
I can’t wait to ‘shimmer’! Thanks for the great information!!!
Thank you Me Ra. It is posts like this that keep me glued to your blog. I have the phrase “shoot with the heart” written on my day planner and your post touches on what this means to me in ways I didn’t even realize. That you for sharing and I love the twirly girl pics.
I love this exercise. Its a lil scary, but I think I can I think I can I think I can….
Allison G. You sound just like me. I am so not confident it my abilities, but I keep practicing. I am my own worst critic. Me Ra, I love this picture. It tells a story and I love that. Thank you for sharing. I will let you know how the exercise goes this weekend. 🙂
Oh my goodness I almost cried!!!! I love the Julia Cameron quote and I felt as if you were talking to me when you stated how many of us “doubt the call even as you begin to answer it?”
Thank you so much for writing, ‘Trust that the pilgrimage you desire is not vain or a waste of time, but it is real and meant to bring you joy, wholeness, and restored wonder.’
Thank you thank you thank you for being the beautiful person that you are and for having the magic to touch so many of our lives.
[…] One by a personal friend on Fear and Possibility. And another on the Me Ra Koh photography blog on art as an act of faith. Funny, just noticed the common thread in these two very different blog posts – having […]
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oh, my, goodness. so perfect and lovely for mine, and probably many other lives, right now. thanks
i have been addicted to your blog for a couple of months now {i’m very new to the blogging world in general} … i’ve watched both the dvds and am patiently crossing off the days until your chicago workshop.
i love, love, love this post. i love that you are teaching that photography is more than pushing a button. you are teaching that there is something deep within us that we can capture on film … and you give us the tools and nudge to go out and do that.
thank you, thank you!
{as a p.s., i have the pleasure of knowing elizabeth (libby) cameron, julia’s sister. libby is also an artist (it totally runs in their family) and i’ve commissioned her to do some paintings of my family. libby’s recently become an apple fanatic and put together some fun imovies that are playing on youtube. here is a link to my family … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th4VR0JXW1I }
Mera,
Love this post! Allison…I can completely relate to your feelings. I swear I say the same exact thing all the time…and I mostly have other people answering for me when people ask me if I am a photographer..Love the quote Mera! So looking forward to Chicago in November…
Thank you. Your words are so powerful and really resonate with me.
Hi Merah!
Quick question on your beautiful shot above (i love it!) – for shots like this, with huge amounts of light coming from the background, do you ever have problems on the printing side? Particularly where the silhouette of someone meets that light, do you ever get weird aberrations or lines? Is there a term for that? What do you do to fix it? Also, in the extreme highlights, such as in that window, when I have printed some of these types of shots, I get a flat portion with a different texture or look, if you will, from the rest of the picture that has substance to it. Any tips?
Thanks so much – I love your blog and love your work! photography@pearceprojects.com (ph:206.799.2539)
Sorry, Mera – I see I typed to quickly and added an h to your name. I just wanted you to know I know your name is Mera without the “h”!! ~~~~
[…] Have a wonderful weekend and remember to shimmer! […]
i did it! been wanting to experiment with flare and i think i captured my little girl’s spirit of independence perfectly. let me know if you agree… 🙂 the look i was going for is “sunwashed.”
http://tinyurl.com/6hjc4c
Hello Me ra!
Nicole told me you had posted this pic on your blog! I have to say that it turned out AMAZING! After reading your note of inspiration for the day, I have to say that I felt totally and completely inspired!! I love photography, always have…but more so always have loved the abstract visions of my own. I really never show them to anyone because no one understands my vision…maybe I’ll email you some of them! 🙂
After my total and complete fulfillment of inspiration I clicked the link “past like mine” and after I read that I was truly honored to have met you both for Nicole & Eddie’s wedding! Your story has so much heart, truth, and such a great message within it!
Thank you for not only capturing the beautiful moments between two of my very best friends…but also capturing some of the MOST beautiful moments of the sweetest little flower girl! 🙂 I am so privileged to have her in my life and be able to call her my daughter.
So again thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Jenifer
Tracie, that video of Julia’s sister, Libby, is amazing! Thank you for sharing! And your blog is wonderful! Loved looking at your different posts!
Some of you have sent your shimmering results! So proud of all of you! And so honored that you would share.
xoxo
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