Loving The Simple Life

My Imperfections Are The Best

My Feet Off The Ground

Before I broke my third Fitbit and refused to buy another, I religiously looked at my step count both during and at the end of the day worried that I wasn’t getting the 10,000 steps now required to be physically fit and mentally acute.

It became an obsession where my success was measured by numbers. Numbers today compared with numbers from yesterday and numbers comparing me with others. Sometimes my success was measured by Harry in Florida’s step count. Harry who is half my age. Other times it was measured against Demari, female, one-third my age, and a runner. Then there was my neighbor Will who always waved as he walked by my house twice a day coming and going to church almost five miles away. I wondered if his search for salvation might be tempered by that wave that I saw as a taunt. “I’m walking to church where I will seek salvation and getting in more than 10,000 steps. Join me, at least for the steps.” I never did.

Now I wear an Apple watch. I’m caught in the ecosystem of Apple.

The watch, iPhone, MacBook, iPad, Air Tags, and Apple TV+. I don’t wear AirPods because I want to hear my surroundings. Better situational awareness. I can’t afford to have both a MacBook and a Mac desktop. The MacBook I have is several years old. I would like to have the Apple Vision just to be a first adopter, but that money would be better spent on a desktop Mac and an upgraded iPad. Or a camera and lens upgrade.

This is not a complaint rant. It’s an appreciation statement.

I am fortunate that my photo skill set is advanced enough that it isn’t limited by not having the most advanced technology. That might be an exaggeration when it comes to Adobe software. Adobe’s photo editing tools are remarkable, and each iteration continues to advance the ability to make good photos look great.

More than half of my lenses are vintage lenses. Some are manual focus, manual exposure lenses using the old Nikon F-mount. Others are more recent with autofocus and auto-metering but require adapting to the mirrorless body.

I am limited by not having some of the newer more sophisticated and automatic off-camera strobes but can cobble together a working set for use.

What I do have a lot of is enthusiasm about having a variety of experiences that result in great photos. Experiences that connect me to a greater community. That connects me to individuals and their communities. That allows me to concentrate not on making perfect photos with the most perfect camera equipment available and the latest computers. It lets me concentrate on the subject and use the skill set I have to show it best.

Rick Rubin in his book “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” says “The imperfections you’re tempted to fix might prove to make the work great.”

I’ll stick with what I have to make photographs. During a conversation a few days ago someone asked “How ya doin’.”

“I’m doing great working on my latest obsessions. Getting taller, thinner, and richer. Been working on that for 79 years but there is still time.”

Maybe these are my imperfections and I’m best to just live with them.