Tag: Integrity

Cameras Don’t Take Photos

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Cameras don’t take photos

I was at a friend’s wedding in my early 20’s, chatting to the official photographer while we awaited the bride. I commented that I wanted to save up enough money to replace my little Kodak Instamatic with a camera more like his. All he said, at first, was:

Cameras don’t take photos

I was shocked until he added:

People do.

He made the point that having a better camera will not improve your photos. Then he expanded his advice

Taking good photos is about composition and lighting. Learn to take good photos with your little Instmatic first. Then, when you’re happy with them, buy the best camera you can afford.

It was good advice that I transferred to the rest of my life. Learn to use what you have to the best of your ability. Then buy the best that you can afford.

It’s saved me a lot of money over the years.

Never Be Anxious

What’s a quote that perfectly describes your outlook on life?

Never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Each day has enough of its own troubles.

It’s not always easy to live by this principle, but it gets me through most days.

Letting Go

What is your favorite quote?

Letting go of the pain is not about forgetting the past; it’s about remembering the future.

Respect

What’s a skill you consider basic, that most people don’t actually know how to do?

When I was younger, we were taught respect; for our elders, for teachers, especially for our parents. And respecting those people gave us a high level of self-respect.

But that education is very rare today. People grow up, and are even being raised, to not respect anyone else, to believe that they are the most important person in the world, and that no one else’s rights matter. As a result they don’t even respect themselves.

So, what basic skill is missing that most people don’t know how to do it? Respect for others, which in turn generates self-respect.

Failure or Success

Successful people sometimes fail despite how hard they tried.

Unsuccessful people fail because they didn’t try at all.