Saturday, April 14, 2007

Stop and smell the. . . well, you know.

There was a story in the Washington Post recently where some reporters talked virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell into dressing incognito and playing as a busker at the Metro in Washington D.C. It makes for an interesting read that directly addresses most people's inability or simple lack of time to stop and pay attention to the things going on around them on an everyday basis. Even extraordinary things. This is the story:

"Pearls Before Breakfast" by Gene Weingarten

"Pearls Before Breakfast" functions as a cautionary tale for photographers because of the importance to pay attention to what is around us at all times. Whether you call it being present in the moment or achieving full engagement in the world, it is part of being a photographer, or any artist for that matter, that requires us to be aware. To see. To interact with the world. In your own lives, don't miss out on the "Joshua Bells" that present themselves to us. Sometimes these opportunities won't repeat themselves.

Speaking of missed opportunities, the always excellent photographer/writer Ctein wrote a poignant story called, "The Worst Photographic Mistake I Ever Made," for Mike Johnston's blog, The Online Photographer. That posting is definitely worth reading, but in general I highly recommend this blog for worthwhile content. It's one of my favorites.

Hermon Joyner

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