June photo dump: Do you really need that new macro lens?
It was a month when I thought a lot about settling.
Listen to me read this post for you:
Dear Friends, Near and Far
In June I thought a lot about settling. I found myself dreaming about a new iPad, new lens and a new camera.
But do I need a new lens or a camera? Or an iPad?
Well, yes I do. But I don’t need them now and they won’t necessarily make me better at my craft.
So, when I tell you I’ve thought a lot about settling, I mean it in a good way, a comforting way. There was a time when I believed that more followers, more fame, and better equipment would elevate my work to the next level. However, this lifestyle as a working creative has taught me differently. It taught me to focus on what I already have.
(Mainly because I rarely had the money to buy the stuff I dreamt of.)
In June I published two pieces:
It’s normal to focus on external things when you’re starting out. When you’re not there yet, technically or skill-wise, you might feel like a new piece of equipment would take you there.
When I was still in my day job in 2011, dreaming of entrepreneurship, having my own schedule, photographing dogs and families for a living, and writing a blog, I followed foreign photographers (Hi there, Jonas Peterson! 👋🏻). Based on their social media posts and blogs, I started building my own business.
In the midst of my big dream, I never thought I couldn’t do it. I didn’t get discouraged; I didn’t stay put. I felt that I always had more opportunities than I could take advantage of. I had invested in only one good camera (Nikon D700) and one lens (Nikkor 50/1.4G). And I made magic with them.
I still remember the first days in 2010 when I published a Facebook page under the name Nani Annette Photography. Each new like made me simultaneously want to hide my head in the sand and bask in the spotlight. I was incredibly nervous about everyone—especially the people I knew in real life—seeing what I could do with my camera and wondering if they would think I couldn’t. Then I saw the possibilities as my visibility grew: the more people saw my work, the closer I was to realizing my dream.
But it hadn’t always been like this. I didn’t always have this kind of drive. A couple of years earlier, I imagined that entrepreneurship and a career as a full-time photographer wouldn’t be possible for me. That it wouldn’t be possible in Finland or in small markets or with natural light or on location or with my style. I always found more reasons and fuel for why it wouldn’t work. We humans are funny that way, aren’t we? We easily believe ourselves when it’s something negative. But why is it so hard to tell ourselves a good story?
A turning point for me was when a colleague said they didn’t believe anyone could make a living photographing dogs. In that moment, I saw how I had been telling myself the same story and how wrong I had been. After that moment, I started telling myself a different story, the one about possibilities.
In early 2012, I jumped off the hamster wheel, quit my day job, and became a full-time photographer. Was it a smart move? Of course not; it was way too soon. But I made it —with just one camera and one lens.
How did I do it? By settling. By imitating the (mainly wedding) photographers I followed and testing the same idea with dogs, my first muse. I probably didn’t even believe it would work. But a few months later, I photographed eight dogs in one day. By settling, the service design 1.0 Nani style was ready.
In this case, I had systematically created an opportunity for myself, seized it, and brought it to fruition. I also understood that I had consciously wanted to do something completely different from what was available in the market. This kind of dog photography wasn’t done in Finland—or at least I didn’t know about it. My editing style, shooting style, and use of light were different from what was usually seen.
So, at the same time, I was both content and not content with my lot. My gear suited me well, gave me a living, but the 50mm lens doesn’t create a blurry enough background and hide a thicketed forest. But if you take a picture on a road or next to a wall, if you use it in photos with a few eye-tricking elements. If you work hard enough to find the perfect background and light, the combo will do for quite a while.
I settled for a great while until I couldn’t settle any longer.
One of the most important traits of an entrepreneur is to see opportunities where there are none yet. It’s important to be realistic, see your own situation, and understand your resources—then think about what you haven’t tried yet.
Many times, I’ve caught myself making excuses. That I can’t achieve or implement my ideas because I lack something. I have too little of something. An excuse is something that prevents us from acting, creating new opportunities, moving forward.
The most important realization for me has been that I’m the person I am now because I achieved something at some point with very little. I put all my effort into that camera, that lens, and made magic until I had grown out of it. At that point, I had the financial means to upgrade my gear too.
This way of working is still very important to me. I hold on to my cameras, lenses, computers, and whatnot until I need to move on. I make friends with them, get to know them, so that I don’t have to think about gear while I work. They are an extension of my creativity. I know them so well.
At some point, I will get that macro lens (after all, I sold my Nikkor macro when I switched to Fujifilm), but I still have work to do—quite literally—with my current gear.
I must admit that I love settling. It keeps my creative juices flowing and money in my bank account.
Best book in June: Heartstopper, Volume One (A comic book! Wonderful!)
So, maybe you are the person you are today because you’ve achieved something at some point with very little. What have you achieved in your life with a single tool or with just your imagination?
Today, I’ll focus on what I have and how I can use it more creatively. I’ll embrace the journey, the process, and the small steps. Now, 13 years later, I use two cameras and five lenses, but I look back with joy and remember the one camera, one lens, and lots of imagination that got me here.
I hope you enjoyed this reflective and slightly different take on a monthly recap. Let me know in the comments what kind of settler you are!
Greetings from the past June.
Nani
Olipa ihana kuunnella tämä teksti sun lukemanasi <3 Kuuntelen jatkossa kaikki, joista teet voiceoverin! Myös kuvat ovat ihania, tässäkin tekstissäsi. Pystyt valokuvaajana tallentamaan aivan arkipäiväiseltäkin tuntuvan hetken siten, että se on valokuvana taianomainen, ajaton ja siten ikuinen.
Ja osuipa muhun myös kuin kämmen otsaan pohdintasi nykyisiin välineisiin (nykytilaan?) tyytymisestä ja ennen kaikkea niiden hyväksymisestä ja niiden käyttämisestä parhain päin. Vaikka mittakaavani on aivan eri, olen itsekin haaveillut uuden puhelimen ostamisesta, vaikka vanha ei ole vielä kahta vuottakaan, ja olen aina käyttänyt vanhat puhelimeni käyttökelvottomaan kuntoon ennen uuden hankkimista. Nyt kuitenkin huomaan haaveilevani uusien (ja kalliiden!) puhelimien hienoista kameroista, joilla saisin niin hienoja valokuvia ja videoita, että taatusti jo tämä seikka nostaisi bloggaamiseni aivan uusiin ulottuvuuksiin. Samalla yritän tyytyä tähän kaksivuotiaaseen ja halpaan puhelimeeni sekä sen perustason kameraan, sillä ymmärrän, että kaikki haaveet uudesta teknologiasta vievät mut joka hetki kauemmaksi siitä, mikä mulle on oikeasti tärkeää: ajan käyttö kirjoittamiseen (eikä teknologiasta haaveiluun saati rahatöiden tekemiseen haaveilemani teknologian mahdollistamiseksi).
Joten kiitos jälleen tästä tekstistä. Se jäi mieleen ja herätti tärkeitä ajatuksia myös lukijassa/kuulijassa!
Such an inspiring story. I cheer to you for being able to change your inner speech and take action to live the life you want. Many think of it, not everyone acts.