Lately I’ve been making a greater effort to go out and take photos, or to get together with other people who like to take photos. In general, really, I’ve been making more of an effort to meet up with people, to spend time getting to know new friends — it’s a practice I highly recommend, yet one I’ve only just begun prioritizing. Find time to spend with people, with other human beings, other hearts and minds, like or unlike your own; ask questions — silly questions, serious questions, questions without aim beyond getting to know the one responding; eat food, drink coffee, talk about things that matter to you, and things that aren’t very important; be light and gentle, be malleable, be kind, be adventurous; be all that you are, and be honest.
I am learning more all the time about what it is to be human. One of the simplest and most profound things I’m learning is the importance of sharing. I don’t mean sharing to get attention, sharing to make people think of you a certain way; I mean sharing because you want to, sharing your heart and experiences, sharing with people, because they’re worth sharing with. I’ve been to some beautiful places, stood still in front of breathtaking sights, yet I’ve done this mostly by myself, and found the experience lacking. Today, given a choice between a mountain range and a quiet lake by myself, or a coffee shop with a friend or two, I’d take the latter. Because life is better when it’s spent with others.
I tend to get into the weeds here, go off on a path I didn’t see when I started, but I’m okay with that. This journal is a place where I can be honest, and let others know a little of what goes on behind my eyes. I’m usually less concerned with spelling out details than I am with making a greater point — and I hope I succeed in that goal.
Recently I got to spend time with my friend Emma, and get to know her a little better. We walked around, took photos, asked questions, laughed, and made another friend along the way. As a photographer I value having another person in front of the lens, and as a human I enjoy the experience even if no good photos come from it. (That second thing has been a hard-learned lesson for me.) Here’s to friends, and making time for them.
love,
— Joel
Geeky Things
Camera: Fuji X-Pro2
Lens: Fuji 35mm f/2
Location: downtown Fayetteville, AR
Notes: I process my images in Capture One, and usually build all of the colours from one of Fuji’s profiles built into the raw files, but more recently I’ve been using the Film Standard curve from Capture One, which seems to give me a flatter starting point. (All of these shots were edited that way.) It’s fun to experiment! Try it out, friends. Also, I highly recommend going out with only one lens, particularly a prime, and seeing what you get. You might be surprised how much you learn from the limitation.