So I just spent all afternoon on 500px, uploading a few of my own images and browsing others in search of inspiration.
I love looking through 500px because the overall quality of the photographs is much higher than other sites and I don’t need to filter through so much rubbish. Plus, if I find an image that really speaks to me and others have commented, I can hover over their user icons and see 3 examples of their work, which helps me to quickly find other photographers who’s work I can follow.
I’m a little overwhelmed! Some of the work I’ve seen today was so beautiful it made me gasp.
I looked through a lot of portfolios with work similar to the kind I want to do, so in that way it was a very inspiring experience. But that is a double edged sword. Almost all of the images I loved and identified with were made using equipment I don’t have (like 50mm and 100mm prime lenses, and dedicated macro lenses–all costing more moolah than I have at the moment). So, on the one hand, I have been inspired to create beautiful images. But on the other hand, I don’t have everything I need to make those images look the way I want them to.
Sigh.
But I want to make images like those with that equipment!
This is a trap that’s easy to fall into (and one I, personally am very familiar with). I don’t have what I need so that I can do what I want, so I’ll just wait until I can get it and then I’ll be happy.
Don’t fall for it! It’s a cop-out and it will do nothing but stymie your creativity and stagnate you.
I have learned over the years that, to remain happy, it is much better for me to focus on the things that I have than the things that I don’t. I have a perfectly functional DSLR camera–a Nikon D5100–with a perfectly functional kit lens. So what if don’t have the fancy-schmancy equipment I want to make that specific kind of image? My camera works fine and has allowed me to take beautiful pictures. I may not be able to make all the pictures I want to (yet!), but that doesn’t mean that I can’t figure out how do something else amazing with what I already have.
But I won’t ever know that if I just stop everything and wait until I get what I want. I need to use what I have. In fact, I had originally asked for my current camera and it was given to me, so I did get what I wanted. It is my duty to put it to learn to use it to the best of my ability.
Anyway, who’s to say that if I got my fancy lens right now that I will even be capable of utilizing it the way I want to? If I don’t have the XP that comes from creatively using what I have now I’m not going to magically become a better photographer just because I have better gear.
From this morning: little mushrooms in the yard and pretty weeds in the blue wheelbarrow after a rainy night.
If you haven’t already gotten there in your own head, this can be applied to many aspects of life. I used to use the excuse of not having what I needed to wait and not do anything. Then when (and if) I finally did get what I thought I needed, I still didn’t do anything with it because I didn’t know how to because I hadn’t worked up to it.
I’ve (mostly) learned that lesson and now I endeavor to always keep moving forward. I use what I have available to me and let that drive my creativity to do things I hadn’t previously thought of.
Besides, sometimes simply taking action toward our goals opens up opportunities for us to get what we need/want.
Learn to use what you have available to you; that’s creativity. And appreciate what you have; that’s happiness.