Look Straight Up

“To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.” -Edward Weston

        I have read a lot about photography. There are a lot of "rules" that people say will help you to become a better photographer. You need to make sure that you...   You must ensure that your camera is...  Don't forget to position your subject in the...   I'm definitely not saying that you can't learn a lot from people that have come before you, but I want you to think about the most influential people in your life. Did they inspire you by following rules? Did they inspire you by doing things the same way people before them did?

Probably not.

      I'm willing to bet they inspired you by thinking differently than the people that came before them. They acted abnormally, they were considered strange, they did their own thing regardless of how other people said they should act.

      I am absolutely not saying I am any kind of an inspiration to anyone, but the one thing I am is ABNORMAL.

       My favorite thing to do is to get in my truck with my camera and just randomly drive around until I see something that catches my eye. Something that evokes emotion. Something that moves me. Looking straight up moves me.

 
 
 

 

 

 

    

How often do you stand still and look straight up?  You might be amazed at what you see. I take very few pictures standing straight up with my camera at eye level. I think that is pretty boring. Sometimes I set my camera on the ground to take pictures, other times I'm the one on the ground.  There is just something about looking up into the trees that makes me feel like a kid again.  It fills my mind with wonder and makes me very happy.

       

         I think it reminds me of childhood moments spent laying on my back in the grass, staring up at passing clouds. My imagination taking over. That kid didn't have any real problems. My biggest concern was getting through the week at school so I could go camping with my friends on Friday night.   If you could get there again, wouldn't you?

         When I was in school I tried my best not to get noticed. I blended in with everyone because I was too scared to stand out. Too scared to be weird. Too scared to be myself. But as I got older I realized you can never be happy by keeping who you really are locked away. Now I'm proud to be weird. Proud to think a little differently than most people I know.

         So if you're reading this, I want you to take one thing away. Try to do something different today. Don't do the same thing you always do. Don't do what everybody else is doing. When everybody else is looking straight ahead, you should try to look straight up.