An appreciation of work
When I’m on vacation, I get to pretend that I am a photographer for a living, which is a really fun thing to do. I become single-minded about my work in a way that I never am at home. I make a point of making the most of my time, going out to shoot every day if I can. On the days I’m not shooting, I am doing research, hiking out to new locations, making notes, or just looking at or reading something inspiring. In the 15 days we were in Barcelona this August, I was out shooting for 11 of those days, and thinking about photography the rest of the time.
On days that I was shooting, I would be out for 4-6 hours a day, carrying a heavy kit with a 4×5 camera, a sturdy tripod, two lenses, film holders, notebooks, and everything else I needed. There were days that I would come back so sore, so tired, that I couldn’t imagine going back out there the next day. And yet I did. Photography was my job for those two short weeks, and I put everything I had into it. By the time I got back to New York, I was completely exhausted, and it took nearly a week to recover!
There’s something about the physical aspect of the work that enhances the experience for me, I think. I have the attention span of a gnat thanks to growing up as part of the Nintendo generation. All of the strenuous activity and attention to detail required by working with a large format camera helps me achieve a focus and clarity that I find hard to get anywhere else. I really do hope that this is my job someday, no matter how long it takes.
PRI’s To the Best of Our Knowledge is about work this week, and I recommend a listen. (If you don’t have Real Player, NPR also publishes it at a podcast.) The segment with Matthew Crawford, about the value of working with your hands, really resonated with me. He talks about how we seem to have lost a certain kind of connection with with the physical world, which is reflected in the kind of work we do. I certainly feel this in my day-to-day life, which is why the time I get to spend outside with a big camera is so important. I guess the question for me is, how do I make it so that it’s 50 weeks out of the year instead of the other way around?
Interestingly, the latest issue of Purpose magazine is also about work. Enjoy.
September 16, 2009