Here it is. Month three already. Can you believe it?
I certainly can't.
You know what else I can't believe? How great that
50mm lens is. It's changed my life. My photos have improved tremendously without me actually learning anything new. I'm impressed...
I'm finally getting to the point where I like my shots straight out of the camera, and I don't feel the need to bury them in wild Photoshop actions. I definitely love me some actions. I do. But I use them as a crutch most of the time to hide the fact that my photos are sometimes flat. With this last batch though, I didn't even touch half of them. I'm so happy that I'm seeing improvement in my work. The learning curve is the hardest part of any process and it's easy to get frustrated with it. I love looking at other portrait photographers' work and I have a hard time not comparing myself to them. There are so many amazing photographers out there and it makes me feel like I have such a long ways to go.
That reminds me of something I read during marathon training a few years ago:
Everyone has to run their own race. That's become my mantra in life. You can't compare yourself to everyone on the track. There's always going to be someone faster and in better shape than you are. You'll never make it to the finish line if you spend the entire race focusing on everyone else. You have to focus on yourself, your own training and your own motivations. Crossing the finish line is the ultimate goal. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to get there.
That thought definitely applies to everyday life. Let's all try to remember that. Let's also remember that if you don't keep up with your cardio, those awesome calf muscles you built during marathon training will disappear about three months after you stop running, leaving you once again with chicken legs.
