I wanted to write a follow up to my camera therapy blog, a few things have changed since writing it and I also wanted to take the time to say thank you.
So let’s get started, over the past few weeks since posting the blog I’ve added music into my days when I’m on the streets shooting and boy I was not expecting the results I’ve been getting, if I was hearing this from someone else I would more than likely be calling bullshit (as you might be doing as you read this blog). I’ve been so focused it’s crazy, I’ve become more relaxed and in turn, this has made me more focused.
A few weeks ago I spent 3 days in a row shooting on the streets of London, now the first day I wasn’t listening to music and it was like most days I have where nothing happens and I just can’t focus, so I’ll end up pushing too hard, trying to make something happen and in doing so I start getting frustrated and depressed and in this case, I ended up putting the camera down and went for food with a friend.
Now the second day I went to London was by myself and this time I was listening to music, using just one earphone as I need to hear what was happening around me. Within 30 minutes off arriving in the city, I was more focused and everything was clicking in place it was awesome, I wasn’t paying to much attention to the music but I did have a bounce in my step and everything on the street was alive to me, I was seeing and capturing everything. Now was it the music or was it just a coincidence, I’m 100% sure this wasn’t a coincidence and it was down to the music even if I could hardly hear it. I found myself at times singing along too, especially after getting a killer shot like the one below:
I was buzzing, nothing was going to stop this great day and you know, nothing did. I was having such a good day that I didn’t even notice the time flying by, the day was over so quick. I got back to Kings Cross at 9 pm and it was at this point that I noticed how hungry I was, yes the day was going so well I hadn’t even stopped for food. I went all day without stopping, I had a blast, the perfect day you might say.
So would the same be said for day 3, I was heading up to London with my friend Edward, he had an interview at one of the universities in London. Again I would be listening to music and I was hoping for the same results as the previous day. I’m sorry to say that the day didn’t play out like the previous one, this day was on a whole another level. I can say without any shadow of a doubt it was one of the best days I’ve ever had shooting street photography, one the first photos taken on this day was this one:
After capturing this I knew I was going to have a great day of street shooting and I wasn’t wrong, it was unbelievable, I was killing it, everything came together I wasn't walking around the streets of London I was dancing. On the train traveling up talking with Ed about our love and passion for street photography must’ve had an effect on me, now mix this with great music and so much positive and yes even the great weather and boy how could anyone, yes even me, have a bad day. This was one of those days that you just never want to end, I’m still buzzing from it and it was more than 3 weeks ago madness.
So let's get back to the elephant in room, music. If I look at the first of the 3 days in London great company, great weather but no music and the day just didn’t happen, was this because there was no music, I like to think so, what do you think?
The following 2 days had a soundtrack and both turned out to be the best days of street photography I think I’ve ever had and I really do think the music helped, maybe it’s like a doctor giving you a prescription of meds and you not knowing it was a placebo, the doctor telling you it’s what you need and you believe it will help and it does, in fact I know it’s exactly like that, but I don’t care if it is a placebo it works and it’s continuing to work for me. I will always take music onto the streets with me and mix it with my photography and I hope it will continue to help me relax and focus and in turn, I know my photography will grow.
As I said at the start of this blog I wanted to take the time to say thank you, I had no idea how my camera therapy blog was going to received, I will be honest here and say that I was worried about posting it. The first week the blog was live I was having a problem keeping up with all your messages, I’ve had my readers telling me stories about themselves or family members and I’ll never be able to properly thank each and every one of you that shared those stories with me.
I’m also so grateful for all the messages of support you sent me they meant so much to me.
Thank you for reading and following my blog.
