Show someone you’re really listening

It’s up to you how you show them but it has to begin by really listening in the first place. Don’t just hear the words, understand what they mean in what they say and more often what they don’t say.

I decided a friend of mine needed a little pick-me-up. There are a dozen things I could have done and I did a few that were simply sharing my time, one of which was I joined him for lunch at work with another good friend of ours. I spoke about photography, saying I hadn’t seen him posting much of his work of late (he is a terrific photographer). He said he thought he needed new equipment and alarm bells started ringing in my mind.

Now I have been there when thinking a new camera or lens was going to solve the lack of inspiration I was feeling. I read frequently of people in that same place and the advice is always* shoot what you have until you rediscover your inspiration. I can tell you it works but sometimes you just need that little shove, that little spark to ignite your creativity and desire. So last week I bought him a book called “The Photographer's Playbook: 307 Assignments and Ideas” by Jason Fulford. I’ll let you know if it works and I’ll post a link to his work (once I’ve asked him).

*If you decide you want to shoot birds in flight and you only have a 35mm lens then maybe you need a telephoto or zoom lens to achieve what you desire. You may need a new camera too. So there are exceptions.