Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Shutter therapy 101

Don't blink
Port Stanley, ON
September 2023
This photo originally shared on Instagram


I call it shutter therapy, and the process is fairly simple.

Grab a camera and get yourself to a spot that has some kind of meaning to you. Stand there for a few moments to soak it in, then start composing and shooting.

Magically, nothing else will matter in that moment, as it’s just you and whatever it is that sparks your imagination.

As you can see, my spot with meaning often involves water. On this day, some wind showed up, as did sunlight bright enough to make it almost impossible to see much of anything through the viewfinder.

But that’s the deal with shutter therapy. The photos themselves matter less than the fact that you’re here. So you gently push the rest of the world aside as you focus on the here and now. You let your mind work through whatever’s going on on the other side of the glass.

If you manage to bring something memorable home, then great.

And if not, mission still accomplished. You made it out to a place that mattered to you. You took the time. You probably felt something. That’s always more than enough.

#portstanley #beach #ldnont #ontario #canada #great #lake #erie #water #waves #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:
End with a splash, March 2012
Water fingers, May 2010
Waved off, March 2009
Endless waves, January 2007

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