Preparation

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln

When we look at people who are successful, often times we only see the success. We don’t see the countless hours someone put in to be prepared before their success started. Think about it when you see a great photo. You think all that person did was snap it, and it was done. There is so much more to a great photo than that. It starts with timing. You have to know when the lighting is going to be the best, or you have to set the lighting up just right. Then you have to know where to stand and position yourself to get the shot just right. I even think it’s important to practice using your camera equipment before going somewhere new for the first time. Don’t get me started on all of the work that happens editing the photo after it is taken. Great photos take time to get right.

During spring break, my family and I took a trip to Helen, Georgia. Helen is an alpine-themed town in Northeast Georgia. The shops and restaurants are always fun to check out. We visited several different places in town. One of our favorite days was when we spent the day walking around Helen. Of course, I grabbed my camera and brought it with me. At first, I used my normal lens, but I realized after a minute that this was not the lens I needed for the day. I used my lens from Retropia. I love this lens because it is lightweight. This makes it perfect to bring with me while on a walk. I also love that it is made from recycled disposable camera lenses. When I capture photos with it, it looks like the shot was captured with a film camera. It has various imperfections in the shot that give it a retro look. I also like how the lens doesn’t need to be focused. Just like an old-school disposable camera, all you have to do is point and shoot.