One of the things you’ll find me saying over and over again is the word “beautiful.” I wholeheartedly believe that there’s beauty in anything. Beauty equates to so many things like light, perspective, detail, canvas, and uniqueness. Very often, clients won’t know where to hold their session and will often rely on my knowledge of surrounding locations and areas with breathtaking backdrops as noted a few posts ago. In response, I remind them of places that have sentimental meaning to them or places that represent something. The emotion attached to these places sometimes far outweighs traditional locations like beaches and gardens. Although, there’s profoundness in all natural places; there’s an immense value in your experience with a place, someone or something.

I’ve photographed untraditional places with graffiti (although graffiti is pretty cool), airplane hangars, backyard, and abandoned naval bases to list a few. Sure, they may appear at first glance uninteresting and everyday mundane places, but I find them to be the most alluring. Usually, there are five things that I often look for whether it’d be location scouting or in my everyday life. Some of these things I accredit to my ever-growing critical eye, other things to teachers and mentors, whom without, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So here it goes…

1. Details. Details are everything. Without details, there’s lack of character and versatility. Details make up the bigger picture and could even enhance the view. I consider aspects that might appear forgotten or quickly dismissed, but they can make a world of difference in a frame. You’ll find yourself having to squint to see them or slow down your pace to make sure you don’t miss a thing. Anything from a flower petal to a crack in the wall adds texture and helps to tell a more complete story.

2. Canvas. The following might contradict what I just said, but it’s absolutely necessary to look at the whole picture and breathe it in. Just like an artist starts off with a blank canvas or white paper, there’s a point where you have to envision what is your end goal. Imagine the endless possibilities that can emerge. There are times where we can become completely sucked into smaller aspects of a bigger frame that we often forget to see the bigger picture of everything else. The 360-degree view may be vast, but it allows for limitless creativity.

3. Light. Lighting is so important. I stress this to clients and people all around. Throughout the day, you’ll most likely experience nuances of sunlight, artificial light and ripples of both. The kind of lighting we’re seeing will affect our encounter with people, places or things. For example, if lighting is too harsh, it’s difficult to appreciate the finer details and colors. If lighting is too dim, it’s easier to get lost in the scenery. My favorite kind of lighting when the sun and sky come together for a grand display of colors leaving enough brightness and erasing almost all shadows. Lighting is the epitome of all perfection, the cherry on top of a hot fudge chocolate sundae (on cheat days). Without light you can’t see (cheesy but true).

4. Experience. Be present. There are unlimited amounts of distractions–anywhere from time, application notifications, doorbells, tasks, chatty people and etc., etc.. (Note the two et cetera’s). I often remind myself to engage fully in whatever is happening, making sure that all of my senses are turned on at the moment. Basking in the light, being grateful for the moment, listening to the sounds, gazing at the colors, shapes and sizes, and to remember that I may never be granted with this moment ever again. When all of my five senses are engaged (and even my sixth, more on that in a future post) I know something beautiful is happening. If I’m with friends or with Victor, I grasp the warmth of company. If I’m alone, I see the moment of solitude as a quick mental getaway to all my dreams that have yet to meet reality.

5. Perspective. Your view in a moment, place or person is unique and can’t ever be replicated. All of the elements as mentioned above fuse into what is your take on things. When I meet somebody new, or when I go to a place that I’ve never been before, there’s always something I take away with me. Victor and I’ve trained in the same photography classes at different times, and I’ve found the images he creates vastly differ from the images I’ve created. I love that it’s not the same. I love to see his art because it tells me a different story. Perspective is the story of your experience.

I feel as though I could write hundreds of books on this stuff whether it’d be for photography or personal life. I may have been very general, but I feel that photography is the art of seeing. I also believe that the art of seeing can most indefinitely be applied to life. Seeing beauty in everything requires you to slow down and to appreciate. Seeing beauty in everything is a challenge and one that I’ve chosen to embrace as a lifestyle.

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