One finds themselves on a path for a while and return to something else that they have done before, only then to return to something else later on as well. Is it the familiar that draws us back to certain things and certain situations? Is there unfinished business that needs to be resolved? I’ve written a few times about the circular nature of life and good or bad, we are creatures of habit and those small habits drive what we do and are everyday.
Recently, I’ve found that have made my way back to photography and filmmaking. Much like an old friend that you haven’t seen in ages, getting back in the groove feels pretty natural and as if you had never left it in the first place. Coming back to this with fresh eyes has made the endeavor the more satisfying in a way. Much like an old flame, I remember what it was that it struck me that I love about these mediums. Photography is stopping a moment and recording it forever. Our lives are over and gone so quickly that we can miss much of it if we let it go. Photography cheats the reaper of his prize, and makes the moment live forever. I think a lot of people have really forgotten about the power of the image, being that we take them so for granted. Technology has made us all photographers in a way, but few have really learned how to craft and make those moments powerful and have an immortal life of their own.
Filmmaking is almost the exact opposite. Taking those moments and stringing them together allows us to create an alternate reality, one can be bound by rules or have no rules altogether. But in the same breath, it reminds us or our nature in a way. We are social beings that congregate and tell stories of our lives. Some are grand stories with many characters and many twists. Others are smaller and deal with the complex emotions of our lives. Either way, this shows us in big bold lights and exquisite 4k reality for all to see, good and bad. Technology has only closed the gap between that fantasy and our reality. Tools have become cheaper, and there are more ways to consume than ever has existed.
Why now in this sea of content do I want to rejoin something that I took a backseat to so long ago? The stories are still there. They’ve never gone and they only keep coming. Making these things of beauty, either these exquisite moments in time or elaborate tales of fantasy has driven me to push myself. I’d had not thought of this as a main course for my life in a while, and in the case for photography, nothing more than a passion for myself. Funny how life has a way of bringing things back around for you to see. In the end, it comes down to you whether not it’s something you want to grasp and run with, or something you can reminisce and think about what could have been. I’m sure other things will come around later, but for now I need to listen to what’s being said, even if it’s only from the universe.
Das Miguel 