07/08/2025
Learning photography taught me three things.
FIRST: noticing.
Noticing what doesn’t scream “aesthetic” at first glance - the texture of a garlic bulb, light bouncing off a glossy parquet floor, the beauty of a face that doesn’t fit conventional standards.
Noticing comes before everything else - before lighting it well, framing it right, or making it “look good.” Observation is step one.
SECOND: fixing things on set, mid-shoot.
When it’s not flowing. When nerves kick in. When the white shirt you expected turns out to be a floral dress.
During photo classes, we often used the same framework reviewing each other’s work: what’s working? what can be improved?
I still use it in real time - light, props, posing, wardrobe. This simple checklist (I love simple checklists, they are so effective!) helps me shift the energy of a shoot when it starts to slip and turn it into a wow moment.
THIRD: shooting and then building a story.
By “story,” I mean everything from a fencing championship to a quiet family shoot - dumplings and all. Telling stories through images is probably the main reason I still pick up the camera and lug around that stabilizer.
If you're starting your school year around now - good luck, and stay fired up about whatever it is you're learning.
