The 6 Things Photographers Know About Life

Being a professional photographer is a pretty lucky job–you get to capture beautiful moments, create them into something artistic, and know that when your clients look at them afterwards, for as long as they keep looking at them, they’ll have special memories attached to those images. What’s not to love about that!

But today it’s time to broaden the brush. Here we’re going to share some of the little things you learn while being a professional photographer that actually work pretty well in life too.

Get your camera out of the bag and into your hand

Don’t leave your camera in its case because you’re afraid it will get dirty. While it’s sitting in there, you’re missing out on capturing moments of life that will never happen again. Life is not a dress rehearsal–so don’t leave the silverware in the cupboard for special occasions, don’t forget to wear that special that special ring in case you lose it, and take that camera out of its bag–enjoy life as it is, this very second, and you’ll experience everything your life has to offer: right now.

Don’t wait for the perfect shot–go out and find it

It’s easy to sit back in life and wait for the perfect circumstances: I’ll wait until I’m earning more, until I have a house, until I’m retired… a life spent waiting is a life wasted. Likewise when taking photographs, you might be tempted to wait until the day is sunny or nobody’s sick or the fireworks start. But don’t wait – just start now–and you’ll find the perfect shot is independent of the perfect circumstances.

Find beauty in everyone and everything

Photographers are presented with all sorts of clients and backdrops, but what takes a subject from ordinary to beautiful is often that little something that can’t be grasped: a sparkle in someone’s eye; a moment of joy or love. Know, like a photographer, that you can find beauty in everyone and everything if you just stop to notice that spark that makes us alive.

Simplify–remove the clutter and focus on what’s important

A good photo is often found in simplification: removing clutter from the background, and focusing in on the subject. Life is like this too: you’ll find more richness if you put the noise where it belongs – in the background – and allow your biggest priorities to take centre stage.

If you carry heavy baggage, make sure you’re well supported

Nobody can avoid carrying some heavy baggage every once in a while. This can even be worth it for a photographer, who can get a better shot if they carry the right equipment. But all that baggage can be heavy too, in life as well as photography, so it’s important to know that if you’ve got to carry it, at least make sure you’re well supported. Have people around you that pad your shoulders and lighten your load; share that stuff around. Support is the stuff we need to make our journey through life not only easier, but a pleasure.

It’s all a matter of seeing the world through the right lens

Finally, pop on that polarizing filter or those rose-colored glasses and see the big picture: life is better when you look at it through the right lens. Unlike photographers, your ones don’t cost you anything, and they can transform your big picture from blah to beautiful. See the world through the right lens, and you’ll be rewarded with inspiration every day.