Seize The Day
Seize the day. This is a phrase that I oftentimes used to brush aside and not take to heart, but as the days have flown by in the last few years, there is one thing that I have realized; this life is fleeting. Looking back as far as my childhood it is remarkable to see just how fast the history of my life has unfolded until now. When I look at my work as a landscape photographer, I can’t count how many times I didn’t stop at a certain location because I thought I would have the time to revisit that spot again in the future. Oftentimes, I never did, and the best intentions I had to return never availed. One thing that I have learned through these missed opportunities and trained myself to do is to bring my camera with me, regardless if I think that I will have time or not. Some of us have very photogenic memories and the places we visit stick with us in our minds, but there is something special about being able to capture the beauty and intimacy of a place you visit and it will give you a digital or tangible piece of the memory of that place and time.
In the book of Psalms, the psalmist writes in Psalm 144:4, “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” When we look at our life, no matter what phase or age we are currently in, I think that we can all agree with this truth. Our days often do feel like passing shadows as time seems to continue to hasten toward our final day. Another verse from the Bible that I often pray is Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” This piece of knowledge has been engraved in me over the years and has shaped the way I photograph landscapes. You see, time is always ticking by, every second and minute that passes is one that we will never gain back. This shouldn’t cause anxiety or regret but should shape what we do with it moving forward. The world and culture are continually changing and progressing and as photographers, we are in the perfect place to “hit the pause button” if you will, grab the one thing we have to frame the place and time we are in, and capture it with great detail and artistry.
As a young boy, I remember struggling with wanting to grow up and get life going, but now looking back, I would write a letter back to my younger self and tell him, first off, to have picked up a camera earlier, and two, to slow down and take advantage of the moment you have been given. The one thing that time does offer us is wisdom and lessons learned, and this is a lesson I don’t want to continue to learn the hard way. Taking advantage of the day that is given to us as a photographer can be something as simple as making some quick plans to visit a spot you have been meaning to stop at that one of your other jobs is taking you past. There was a moment this past month where I was getting ready to head up north to work with a real estate client of mine and after packing up everything and almost heading out the door, I remembered my camera and gear. On my way back home, I remembered a place along the Black River that I had always wanted to stop at, explore, and capture, so I did just that. This time I finally internalized the fact that the next day was not promised me and I needed to take advantage of the opportunity. I don’t want to get to the end of my life, looking back over my history as well as my photo books and be thinking all the while, “I wish I would have stopped at this place.” If you sense an urge to let off the gas as you’re passing a location along the highway or walking past a beautiful vista along a hike, take the time, don’t let the place and moment pass you up again, it may be the last time you see it.
So, let me ask you, is your foot on the accelerator of your life and/or your photography work? Are you always looking to the end state of things and missing the journey along the way? Are you letting those beautiful places and moments slip through your fingers which could be the next inspiration for a creative like yourself? Seize the day you have. Grab your camera, let your creative eye go to work wherever you are shooting, let your lens soak in what you could have missed, and share it with a watching a world.
