By L.D. Kirklin ldkirklin.com
In this current age of technology, when practically everyone has a camera, more pictures are being taken than ever before. Considering that the earliest photograph ever permanently captured (1827) required several hours of light exposure and could not be duplicated, it’s remarkable to think that today we can click a button, see an image instantly and share it immediately to an unlimited number of people. I wonder what Niépce and Talbot, the founders of photography, would think about their artform today.
In a recent conversation, someone asked me if the fact that everyone has a camera these days means that everyone is a photographer. I smiled and replied, “no, I think that simply means that everyone has the opportunity to take pictures”. Having the opportunity to do something is a start, but it’s the effort we put into an opportunity that makes the difference. In photography, a camera is the tool used to take the opportunity, but it’s the effort we put into capturing the photograph that often determines our success.
For example, one day, ten people with cameras heard about a rare flower that only blooms for a few minutes each year. Five arrived at the estimated moment of bloom and pointed their cameras. One arrived early, climbed a nearby tree and crawled out on a limb that overlooked the flower. That person found the perfect angle, zoomed in, focused, and waited. That day, ten people had cameras. Four of them rejected an opportunity. Five of them snapped a picture. One of them took a photograph.
A few years ago, I spoke about photography to a group of high school students. As I clicked through my PowerPoint, I shared pictures that highlighted the basic topics of lighting, focus, and yes, that ever-so-powerful tool of perspective. At the end of the presentation, I set out three cameras. One was a palm size pocket camera, the second was a compact camera with a zoom lens, and the third was a larger, more professional looking camera. Next, I showed a series of images and challenged the group to determine which camera took which image. The outcome? Well, let’s just say that had it been a graded test, they would have welcomed some extra credit opportunities.
As most would, they associated the detailed and sharp images with the professional looking camera. I smiled at their disbelief when they learned I took those images with the palm size pocket camera. They struggled to believe that such an insignificant looking camera could take such a significant looking photograph. They simply saw the tool and the result. What they didn’t see was my ten-mile hike and descent down steep embankments to get that result. The lesson was that it’s not the tool that makes the difference, it’s the effort you put into the opportunity.
Life, like photography, has many opportunities, but the results of those opportunities are directly related to the effort we put into them. The odds of winning a marathon are nonexistent if we don’t show up to the race. The likelihood of becoming a ship’s captain is quite low if all we do is stare at a boat. The possibility of having well-rounded relationships is unrealistic if all we do is consider ourselves. No, if we want the best possible results, we have to offer our best possible efforts.
Of course, it’s important to remember that the opportunities we get, or the results of our efforts, are not always about us. Every day, we have the chance to show kindness, be helpful to, and share joy with those around us. We might never see the result of holding a door for someone or saying a prayer for the friend of a friend, but those opportunities still call for our diligent effort.
So, if the difference we make, for ourselves and for others, is determined by the effort we put in, how are we doing? Are we rejecting the opportunities altogether? Are we showing up with minimal effort or selfish attempts? Or are we showing up like the one photographer with
– the want to be there…
– the energy to go above and beyond…
– the willingness to go out on a limb…
– the consideration for the details…
– the desire to focus on what is important…
– the patience to wait and work for what matters?
The fact is, not every opportunity taken, in photography or in life, will have frame-worthy results, but each one has that potential. Whether it’s a professional pursuit or a personal endeavor, at the end of the day, success is knowing that when opportunity knocked, we greeted it with our best possible effort.
Never underestimate the Power of Perspective.
