Letting Go of Myself...

What a Chicago thunderstorm reminded me about photography (and life)

Recently I was blindsided by a ferocious thunderstorm in the heart of Chicago, and I had one of those moments.

The world aligned.

The angels sang.

The storms sound echoed through every bone in my body.

Athletes call it being “in the zone,” while others call it being in a “flow state.”

No matter who calls it what - I was there - connected to the universe as thunder reverberated off the concrete and steel of Chicago’s inner city.

I’ve never taken real photographs in Chicago before, and I’ve never photographed within the heart of a torrential downpour. Yet here I was, a camera to my face, walking through the city taking photo after photo. I was barely conscious of being 100000% drenched from head to toe.

Instead, I just “felt” the scenes in front of me.

It’s hard to describe being in a state like this. Although I’m a 99% manual-mode guy, I never once thought of shutter, aperture, iso, or anything camera related. Every step I made was in alignment with myself and my surroundings, and my job was to let myself (and the camera) absorb all the light, shadow, and color.

I had to let go of “myself.” My ego, fear, insecurities, confidence, jealousy, rage - all of it vanished.

I had one thing left: clarity.

The photos themselves are “flawed” by traditional standards (not always in focus… my settings not always optimal… my composition sometimes skewed), but that’s how life is. It’s how reality and the universe is.

This thunderstorm in Chicago was a reminder that I shouldn’t be chasing perfection with my photography.

I don’t need perfect lines, razor blade sharpness, or posts custom-designed to delight an algorithm.

Instead, I need to accept what the universe has in store for me.

I need to get into the rain and away from myself…

(Photographers - all photos taken with the OM SYSTEM OM-3 and 12-45mm f/4 PRO.)

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