Over a long period of time, these golf balls were collected by my father-in-law. I'll never know the stories behind them, but collectively they come together to tell a story of a life well lived.
Shot on a Canon 5D Mark III - 50mm 1.2L @ f/5.6 - OCF / Speedlite 600 - Kodak Ektachrome 64
A while back I came across a short post by a guy whose work I've been following for a long time; probably the longest of all the photographers I currently follow. It was titled "Photography is Hard." by Jeremy Cowart. I saw the title and thought.. "GREAT, a professional photographer telling me that what I want to do is HARD. How the heck am I ever going to make it?!"
Go read it real quick, then come back. (Here's the link.)
About a year ago I started playing golf. I was hilariously terrible, and Jeremy's article suddenly became very real. Before I first picked up a club, I had no idea how many complex factors went into a golf swing. I immediately had a new appreciation for golf, and now I love watching and playing the sport.
In these first few weeks of being my own boss, I've noticed the strange relationship that photography and golf have (at least in my mind). There are so many factors that play into being successful, and the journey will never be over. The most reassuring thing that has come to mind is that the pros also have their good days and they have their off days. Tiger didn't put up a "W" at every course. Jordan Spieth has had a monster career already in his first few years as a pro but he's been struggling as of late. Some play until they retire, and even in their retirement they still play for fun. Those that make it to that point have spent their lives devoted to becoming the world's best. I see photography in the same light. Some days are harder than others, but every day I get better. It's what I want my work to be. It'll never be perfect, but there's this cheesy photography saying that "we develop from the negatives", so if in every session I get just a little better than the last, I'm super stoked to keep going.
Just keep trying.
Just keep fighting.
Just keep going.
Just keep surviving.
Just keep walking.
Just keep breathing.
Just keep holding.
Just keep believing.
- MUTEMATH - Remain
"What someone unfamiliar with the process may see as simplistic — simply hitting a ball or pointing and shooting a camera — takes years of practice and is extremely complex to master."
- Jeremy Cowart
