So…you’ve made it this far…
This medium, if given the chance, can enforce lifelong growth. Decades into my photographic journey, I’m still discovering where to point my lens. I’ve dabbled in product photography and portraits, and even some cityscapes. But nothing gives me the satisfaction of a trip to a new remote location. I can get lost for hours wandering a shoreline, a deep forest trail, or stumbling across the tortured features of the American southwest. The magic of arriving on location before sunrise, or witnessing the stillness of a setting sun will keep me moving forward indefinitely.
I’ve learned to reject the conventional wisdom that my portfolio should have a coherent appearance, that my work should fit neatly into a single stylistic presentation. The world is too big and life far too short to place such artificial constraints on creative expression; this outlook only serves to strangle creativity.
Even with continuous learning, every time I go into the field, it’s an experiment. Skill matters, and so does keen judgement, but making landscape imagery always involves an outsized portion of luck. It’s about the light, and light is about the sky. It’s always in motion, and always ready to deliver a new lesson to those who make art out of light.