“The urge to create, the urge to photograph,

comes in part from the deep desire to live with more integrity,

to live more in peace with the world,

and possibly to help others to do the same.”

– Wynn Bullock

We photograph for many reasons. Some of them are obvious – enjoyment, income, the approval that others award a good image. Others are deeper. When I found this quote from photographer Wynn Bullock, it immediately resonated with me. I find that my best images happen when I am in touch with these deeper, often hidden reasons to photograph.

This image was made at the Kapuaiwa palm grove on Molokai.

“When gifts are given to me through my camera, I accept them graciously.”

– Minor White

On the first day of the See the Light workshop, we went to Papohaku on the west end of Molokai to photograph waves. I was off-balance from traveling and needed time to slow down and be ready to photograph. My head was filled with distracting thoughts like: Everyone else is finding things to photograph, why can’t I? I lost my bubble level — you can’t photograph without a bubble level! That sun sure is hot. This might be a decent composition, but the light sucks. Maybe I ought to just sell my equipment. And so on … Needless to say, I was not making great photographs.

As the afternoon wore on, I grew tired and the chatter inside my head quieted. Then, while the sun slipped to the horizon, I began simply following the waves with my camera, pressing the shutter for short bursts of exposures when I was inspired. I was finally ready to accept whatever gifts I might be given through my camera. As Dewitt often says, it’s not about “What will I take today?” It’s about “What will I be given today?”

Earlier this week, I was looking back through my files when my eye was drawn to this photograph of Virginia Falls in Glacier NP. It was taken last summer. I was not at all happy with my initial attempt at processing this image – it looked flat and generally uninviting. I decided to re-process it from scratch and see if I could improve on my previous effort. I am much happier with this version. I’m not really sure what made the difference – mood, more experience, better Photoshop skills, a combination of all of that (and more)? One thing is for sure, though – the creative process is definitely not a linear one.