WHY I AM A PHOTOGRAPHER

We were stuck in traffic heading in towards the city a few days ago. Staring out at the lake and the row of red lights in front of us and somehow the topic of conversation turned towards high school guidance counselors (I can’t explain it) and those tests we all took that are supposed to help you figure out a sensible career path for yourself. Ha. Yeah, I don’t know about you, but in high school, I barely even knew who I was, so I was hardly in a position to be figuring out who I could become. For me, the kid who always answered the question “what do you want to be when you grow up?” with either an “I don’t know” or “lots of things…”, the answer to the question could not be found by filling out a simple test. It took a little bit of living and discovering. A little bit of figuring out who I was first.

I am an INFJ (If you haven’t checked out the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, I highly recommend it… It is scary accurate and will probably help you better understand what motivates you and why you do the things you do… I love this kind of stuff). It’s in my nature to live in a world inside myself, full of hidden meanings and possibilities; to dream big dreams and crave creativity and inspiration. I constantly seek deeper meaning in relationships and events, to better understand myself and those around me. Life to me is an endless opportunity to grow, to get better, to invent, create, learn, and see the world differently. And apparently my personality type is one of the rarest out there, making me either insanely unique or just plain weird… your call ; )

I don’t know about destinies or if we were all put here on this earth to walk one specific path set out for us. There are lots of paths out there. Lots of choices and lots of ways to make a difference and accomplish your purpose. But I do know what it feels like when you’ve found something that you know you were created to do. Something that fits with your strengths and desires so well. What I do believe is that each of us will inevitably excel the most at the things that give us the most joy. The things that bring us the most peace. The more inner satisfaction we get from something, the more that feeling will continue to motivate us in what we’re doing. That feeling of doing what you’re meant to be doing, it’s got to be the world’s best motivator, and there’s nothing like it.

I am a photographer not for the feel of a camera in my hands. I don’t do it for the sound of the shutter opening and closing. I love taking photos but if I were only a warm body behind a piece of equipment, I wouldn’t do it. All my camera does is give me a medium in which to reveal other peoples’ stories. To break down barriers and get a peek into worlds beyond my own. It’s a tool that lets me connect with people, to create an experience, to allow the space to delve deeper into ourselves and the good stuff of life. For me, it’s all about the people and collaborating to tell their stories in a creative way…. And there’s no greater feeling than being able to give a photograph, or to be able to inspire someone with the stories you’ve told. A camera is an obvious means to an end for me. It allows me to discover, to tell stories, to create, and to connect. If I love my camera, it is for those reasons alone.

This has been one of the most formative years of my life, definitely one of my busiest. I’ve been thinking about all this recently and just had to write it more for me than for anyone else. I can’t say that I’ve ever felt as much peace just knowing that I’m right where I’m supposed to be. I can’t say that I’ve ever felt as much joy just knowing that I can be a meaningful part of other peoples’ stories. For those who have encouraged me along the way, and for those who have actually made it to the end of this post….drinks are on me, any time : )

- Jenn xx