How Do You Know If You Don’t Try?

Fear is a funny thing. It has the power to hold us back, keeping us in a place that is safe, comfortable and free from risk. It holds us captive like a ball and chain, tied to routine and old, stagnant ways.

Two years ago I would have never considered shooting mid-day under harsh light during the peak of summer. It just wouldn’t have happened. As someone who built a career on shooting naturally lit adventure sports, I was comfortable and accustomed to shooting golden light during the sweetest times of day – sunrise and sunset. Mid-day sun was like the plague, and I avoided it at all costs.

I guess this is exactly why I decided to get out of my comfort zone and schedule a mountain biking shoot in the middle of the afternoon in mid-July. I wanted to face my fears and expand my horizons. After all, how could I ever know what was possible without even trying? As it turns out, with enough wattage and the right light modifiers mid-day sun can be quite cool.

Photography, life or otherwise–you don’t know unless you try. Break the chains and try new things. You might just surprise yourself. You’ve got little to lose but a tremendous amount to gain.

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