When I tell people about what I do as a photographer I also run down the list of freelance projects that I currently work on and one of them happens to be this very column. I tell people that I write a weekly photo-based column and that the next time it comes out it will be number (whatever it happens to be next) and they always seem to be shocked by the number of weeks that I have done this. I know for a fact I am kind of shocked as well. It’s one of those things where it doesn’t really hit me until I start the next week and fill in the “check back next Wednesday for the next column” section at the bottom of every TTL and realize how many weeks it’s been. If you have followed the column from the beginning you know that one thing’s for sure and that is you never know what to expect. I have done my best to keep things interesting and keep them fresh so that people have a reason, or at least curious enough to check out what the subject matter is week after week.
Basically for this week I wanted to do a gallery that has absolutely nothing to do with BMX. I chose these specific photos from a trip to the Salton Sea because I have wanted to do something with them since the day I shot them and putting them out there this way seemed like the perfect outlet. I have mentioned shooting there before and it’s like no other place for sure. It also has a really an interesting history as well and everywhere you look there is something waiting to be photographed. I actually shoot a lot of non-BMX related photos and it always reminds me why I fell in love with photography in the first place. Although I am a “BMX” photographer, I appreciate every single aspect of shooting behind the lens. There is something so inspiring to me about shooting personal work. No one is telling me what to shoot. No one is giving me art direction. No one is telling me to try and include as much branding as I can. No one expects anything from me at that moment and it’s at that moment that I truly feel free as a photographer.
Doing anything that you love for a living comes with a cost. Although it’s nearly everyone’s dream to do what they love and make money at it, in my case I just want to shoot photographs, write about the experience and hopefully inspire people along the way. The money thing for me has always been so secondary. When I’m crouched down, hovering over mounds and mounds of fish bones I’m not thinking about money. I’m not thinking about how I’m going to make a profit off of that specific image that I am creating. I am simply shooting for the love of it, and with anything that’s all that matters. Although being a “photographer” seems to be a growing trend, it’s those people that do it because they only truly feel connected with a camera in hand that will continue to shoot for the purist of reasons. I’d like to think I fit into that category and if it all stopped tomorrow, and I could no longer make a living from my photography I would shoot just the same, if not more than I ever have. My motivation comes from understanding the time that we have to be alive and breathing is limited, and to sit around and waste it not pursuing your dreams and passions is a shame. Anyways, to get back to the original motivation of this week’s column be sure to check out the gallery.
That’s it for this week. Always keep shooting, and keep it moving. Don’t be afraid to explore every single aspect of photography. The only thing that it will do is make you a better photographer. The most well rounded photographers are the ones that shoot anything and everything. It also helps to take on new jobs or shoot for potential new clients. Be ready, and be on point and you will eventually find success. On that note, be sure to check back next Wednesday for the ninety fourth edition of Through the Lens and as always feel free to leave any questions in the comments section or email me at [email protected] and I will hit you back as soon as I can. Feel free to follow me on Twitter and Instagram @jeremypavia.
