You wouldn’t wear a size that doesn’t fit. Why underexpose your photographs? The light meter remains indispensable for photogs, filmmakers- anybody who wants an image they can see. As a fan of flix at nite, I realized the limits of handheld captures. Stability needs a tripod, exposure needs a meter. How could an adult beat inflation with a small business or make enough to continue? Some tool was needed, one to keep the biz up and running. If I don’t get reads, views or comments, how can I ever grow my account? Again, I needed a tool. Tools are only the means to an end- not everything made for ease and quality of life improves it. The iPhone, for example, feels like a 5-inch firearm. Used incorrectly, it can kill time, motivation and even inspiration. Somehow, these assets, smartphones included, might improve my exposure. I am writing every day to picture how.
The moment I read about my friend’s challenge to himself, I was curious. What good is picking everyday items to post about? As he went on, I could hear his voice. Going into the new year, many people start up again with their aims and intentions, hopes for better habits. I was in the middle of a book about just that: habits. He went on to say, that we take for granted the things around us, at our fingertips. True enough. So he made his point by observing, why don’t we question that? The challenge felt like it was a to-do list. Rattle off things, hunt them down, and wrangle them all up. More than chores, the real trial tests our assumptions. What use is this item? Why do I frequent it? Literature suggests our tendencies arise from a need to solve a problem. We follow cues, heed cravings, respond accordingly then await rewards. So, I took Ruben’s challenge to check myself. What do I use, I wondered. What are my cues? I was aware of my responses- I’d let clothes pile up, leave things behind, and arrive late everywhere, even to breakfast. Alongside the challenge, books are power tools with which I can engineer my environment and hammer out new habits.
This particular device also symbolizes patronage of my arts. Proceeds I netted through my photography paid for this visual aid- and that changed everything. Not for the first time, yet almost if not more memorable, photography paid, in part, for itself. The greatest feeling of achievement for my character was translating a vision into action, making the unseen visible and moreover, attractive. A focus on the items in my life reminds me of the tasks I give myself. How challenging.
Post Summary
- Light meters improve images by calculating the variables necessary for exposure.
- Tools take on the user’s will. They help or hurt depending on what you want.
- Remembering your possessions’ utility to you highlights the reason you have it and rationale for your actions. A change in behavior might require a change of belongings.