One Hour of Photography is Enough [Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5]

Images shot with the Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5 on the Sony NEX-5N

They say you should have a certain reader in mind when writing a blog post.

If you write as if to one person, everyone who reads it can take that as being them.

For this post, that one person I’m writing to is me. But if the message is relevant to you, then you’re the target audience also.

Not been getting out to do as much photography as you want to recently?

Here’s a short sharp reminder that just one hour is enough.

What stops us going out and doing more photography?

I should go out and shoot more photographs than I do. I should be going out more often with my camera than I do.

I should be producing more than I do.

The excuse is always life gets in the way. Maybe you need to go to work, or have your own work that you need to get done.

That’s often my excuse. No shooting today, Lee. Got work to do. And it is an excuse. It’s not a reason. It’s merely an excuse.

An excuse that can be habit-forming when uttered often enough. It forms the habit of not going out and shooting your photography.

One good photograph is better than none

I know this. I see an image I like somewhere, maybe on Instagram, and it’s enough for that moment. I don’t need any more from whoever posted it.

That’s not to say I don’t like photo sets, series, or projects. I love them and wish more people would do them. But there’s a time and a place.

There’s also a way to build them slowly. Despite what I tell myself, I don’t need to make a whole set in one day.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” – Lao Tzu

If you make one photograph you like each day, it’s one step towards the greater set you’re building. The series that is your lifetime work.

Create something today, or as soon as you can in the future, and let that feeling of having done something motivate you to keep going and creating more.

It doesn’t have to be literally every day. But just be somewhat consistent and see where you are in a year.

Doing very little by wanting to do too much

So what stops me from doing this?

I’ll tell you.

I sometimes have a voice nagging at me that if I go out with my camera I have to come back with enough keepers to make the day worth it.

Exactly what that number is, I can’t say. But it’s enough to make me not go out at all if I can’t give it at least a full morning or afternoon.

Unless you’re in a fortunate situation though, you can’t expect to be able to go out for extended periods with your camera whenever you want to, and on a regular basis too. So I would pick my days and tell myself that’s when I’ll shoot.

I’d tell myself that tomorrow or the day after or whenever is a photography day. So I won’t bother today because I don’t have much free time so it’s not worth it.

Which is not really the attitude required if you want to be a consistent and improving creator of anything.

It leads only to stagnation instead.

If all you have is one hour on a given day, that one hour is enough.

And if it means you get one good photograph on that day, that one good photograph is enough.

One hour of photography is enough

And that’s the main thing here.

To get your one good photograph per day, you don’t need to block out your whole diary.

I dare say that most times you do head out for a whole morning, afternoon or day, you get at least one keeper within the first hour anyway.

So why not just head out for an hour whenever you can? I have work today but why can’t I leave the house an hour earlier and get some photography in?

There’s really no reason why. And if I do give myself that hour with my camera, I’m sure I’ll get the following things:

• the satisfaction of knowing I created something today
• time to work on improving my photography
• at least one keeper I can add to my growing set

The alternative is creating nothing, not improving, and having nothing to show to yourself or to anyone else.

So what about you?

When can you squeeze in an hour of photography today and tomorrow? It’s a genuine question. I have no idea of your life and you might actually really have no time.

But then again, you might just be able to find some. How long do you spend on TikTok or Netflix every day?

Turn it off. Go out and create something if you can. One hour of photography is enough. 🙂

If you enjoyed this reminder that one hour of photography is enough and want to read more posts about images shot on a mirrorless camera with vintage lenses, why not have a look at some of these too:

Shooting Ciqikou with the F.Zuiko 38mm f1.8

Chiang Mai Street Photography [Super-Takumar 55mm f1.8]

Chiang Mai to Pai on a Scooter Called The Wasp [F.Zuiko 38mm f1.8]

Two Days in Xitang Water Town [Super-Takumar 55mm f1.8]

And if you think others will find this post worth a read, help them find it by giving it a share 😀