Something like six years ago I started teaching people what I knew about photography. I wasn’t “teaching photography”, or even wedding photography, I was teaching what I knew and what I thought about how I personally do it.
I stopped teaching because the more I sat and analysed my own work and how it was made, what the technicals were, where my lightroom sliders sat… the more I realised that it wasn’t about any of that stuff. Not really. And the more I made it about that stuff, because I was having to distil it into teaching materials, I realised the soul was gradually leaving my own work.
It was all getting a bit too conscious. Placement. Positioning. Equipment. Angles. METHOD. Method-led photography is boring. I’ll talk more about this next week.
But hey, knowledge is power. I fully believe that. Know as much as you can about as much as you can, just so you can confidently use stuff as and when you need to. Having knowledge let’s you make the photo your heart, mind and soul wants you to make in that moment.
That’s why I picked out that quote at the top by Dave Grohl the legend, taken from an episode of Hot Ones on the First we Feast YouTube channel. I’ve heard Dave talk about “feel” a few times now in a few different interviews and it always, always resonates with me. I always hear it at a time when I’m starting to get a bit too conscious about technique and losing sight of trusting my instincts to make photos that just feel good to me, that just feel like my photos.
If you’re guided by your heart + your mind + your soul when you’re making photos at weddings you’ll feel a stronger connection to the people there.
If you’re guided by what’s cool, what’s winning awards or you let your work become overly defined by technique, settings and equipment, you run the risk of losing that all-important connection to your own instincts and your subjects.
When I’m shooting AND editing, I pick settings, lenses, positions etc that FEEL like the right ones. It’s very fluid.
Trust your instincts. The more you do that, the more they pay you back with work that feels uniquely yours.
Thanks for reading, happy shooting this weekend!
Adam
PS – An “I’ve quit sugar” update: It was Easter. Disqualified. We go again.
PPS – I feel so so much better after my mental spring cleaning last week. I ended up having to use automation software to delete all my insta and messenger messages but that was satisfying in itself. Especially as the season really kicks into gear I would encourage you if you’re feeling stressed or anxious to consider social media detoxes.
PPPS – I’m a Man United fan. Feel sorry for me please. Although I’ve abandoned the senior mens team and now focus my support on the women’s team and the u23 men’s team.
