Greet The Dawn 2Day

I missed a chance to speak to a class of journalism students at the University of Iowa last week. It was out of my control as I was off my feet for a day and a half. I'm sorry to have missed the opportunity because I tend to get on my soapbox with the young and impressionable. The photographers always get this message, "Greet the dawn."

Most of them already know that dawn is when you get your first opportunity for some quality light to shoot a landscape or dewy forest scene — or even downtown Winterset, Iowa. (Click on photo to see it bigger)

But pretty pictures are almost a dime a dozen on ETSY. The real point of greeting the dawn is that by doing so you have made a commitment to yourself and to your particular passion in life. I have several things that possess my soul. I enjoy writing, but need more practice, which is one reason for the blog.

I enjoy photography on many levels, which keeps me sane. News photography is my passion, but I have the affliction of an amateur when out looking for abstractions in nature. I love reading which is easier to accomplish when the phone isn't ringing or people are stopping in the gallery, or the dog wants to run. Early morning is the gold in your life, if you'll just earn it (get to bed at a reasonable time) and accept it (get out of bed.)

It is a simple message, but one I have to repeat to myself from time to time. Greet the dawn. It sends the very first message of the day to yourself. Its you telling you to take up the good fight, to be armed, arroused and pointed in the right direction for the next 12 to 16 hours.

Here's a little of my greet the dawn approach:
There is no situation in life where — as a photographer — I am overmatched. This is not conceit or arrogance. News photography is a humbling experience. My confidence is the result of 30-some years of challenging myself at every turn. I don't always succeed and still fail sometimes, but my failures would seem like successes to the untrained eye.

Failures breed successes. Trying greatly, taking big chances, means you are up for the task. It means you understand the low odds of high risk photography. (Anyone who shoots sports understands this concept. High risk, low probability of success, high reward) Here's an example:

 

Not the greatest photo, but made in a Super Bowl, and something you don't see every game. By staying behind the line of scrimmage I took a risk that paid off on this occasion. So here's my point, which I wasn't able to make on the young folk studying at the Journalism School at the University of Iowa. Greet the dawn is the first step. You really only need a handful of things to be successful, but the habit of greeting the dawn is key. 

I define my success as being able to following my passion — in this case photojournalism — and making a very good living at it, sitting in my gallery/studio in Winterset, a lovely golden retriever snoring at my feet as I type away.

The two feet of success are inspiration and motivation. These are what are going to carry you forward. 

Inspiration: It is what people seem to think happens when they hear Beethoven at the right time in their life or see the photographs of old Life Magazine photographer W. Eugene Smith. Well, that's partially right. Inspiration basically comes from outside you. Whatever moves you to do something that is aesthetically justified — creating art that evokes an emotional response in another — that is the ignition point to success.

Motivation: It is the car, driving by the engine of inspiration. It can be as simple as the need to sustain your lifestyle by making money. That's not terribly sexy or inspirational to others, but it can be enough on a cold winter morning to get your achy body out of a warm bed and into the shower to greet another dawn.

I am motivated by many things including bearing witness to my life & times, rescuing important moments of humanity from eternity and sustaining my lifestyle by paying bills and saving money.  It's important to know what drives you, because when inspiration is in short supply, motivation will take over the forward motion. Trust me, no one is greatly inspired every day. Your inspirations will come and go. Motivation will make that one dose last until the next one comes along. Make a laundry list of things that are important to you and remind yourself of why you are going down the path before you.

Beyond inspiration & motivation are the hands, what articulates your inspiration and motivation — skills & habits.

Skills: This is easy, really. You have certain skills, in a certain package, that are different than anyone else. Develop what you are good at, find the right instruction, read and explore. Build up your skills to a level that allow you to have an independent life as you approach independence as an adult. Good at photography — find a way to be the best. Good at math — get a PhD.  Good at cooking — study to become a chef d'oeuvre.  Never stop developing your particular skills.

Habits: Here's the hard part. Of all four, this is where mastery of a craft, art or simply life, comes in to play. You can be an inspired, motivated and skilled news photographer, but if you have not worked very hard, over and over, to be almost automatic in your approach, you will be frustrated over and over again. Who hasn't seen the skilled professional athlete who, when the clock was running down, just couldn't hit the big shot or make a meaningful play when the game was on the line?

It's the same here. Like a good solider who can tear down his weapon and put it back together blindfolded, you have to conduct yourself, in all things related to the passions in your life, with a discipline and urgency that produces good habits. That doesn't mean you won't fail from time to time. Only the mediocre are always at their best. You don't learn unless you fail and you won't fail unless you try things you are uncomfortable with. But simply work hard — outwork everyone in your field — which is something you can do.

Start out by doing something very simple, like greeting the dawn.