Practice, Practice, Practice.. You can always be better!

At what point in your life do you wake up and decide "Today I am the best I will ever be!"?  I guessing it's never.  We all know deep inside that we can do better, we can create better, we can be better.  We all must strive to climb the mountain of perfection, even though the top is unseeable and unreachable. Not really sure how this popped into my head or where it's going, but I really wanted to share it.  Many in the photo community look to me for guidance, direction, advice and knowledge.  I'm honored to have such a following, but I'm in the same boat as you.  I'm just asking other people for guidance, direction and advice.  I'm consistently in a learning mode, and even more so during the holiday months when I don't overtax the shooting schedule so that family time can be a priority. This weekend, we were fortunate to have a client ask for a session in Kansas City.  At the same time, a lovely couple wanted to meet face to face to discuss  their wedding plans.  If the weekend was not full enough, we decided to work through some lighting techniques - if we had time - after the appointment and session.  That time was about 11pm - 1am Saturday night!  It was a wonderful time with our fellow photographer and model, Sky Chesure.  The weather turned cold and windy, but we "needed" difficult situations to work through, brain storm and, ultimately, LEARN!  As Terri and I stood outside of each location discussing ambient versus flash, different modifiers for effects and color temperature shifts, I was reminded of the beginning times with my mentors.  I struggled to understand the terms, how to envision the light, how altering each exposure control will affect another.  These are the moments we spend honing our craft and better understanding the tools we have and learning their limitations.

No one ever stops learning, even if you think "It can't get any better than this!"  Life and photography is about gaining wisdom and knowledge through experience.  Guess how we get experience?  By making mistakes!  So get off your computer and go practice your craft and follow your passion to perfection!

Happy Shooting!

Here is a teaser shot from one of the locations...