Pick Up the Camera

Matthew Blazofsky | Writer

Photo Credit: Matt Deatz

“A picture's worth a thousand words.”

It’s a phrase we use almost daily, but rarely stop to think about what it means. For me, it’s more than a saying– it’s a part of my job.

I started a media production company about a year ago, and I’ve become drawn to moments most people miss. The sun setting behind the bench at a football game. Dirt flying off the tires of race cars at the track. A subtle expression before the action starts. Photography taught me to notice those details.

When you pick up a camera, you’re forced to slow down. You scan your surroundings differently. You wait. You anticipate. You see.

In a world that moves fast, media production and photography specifically demand patience in finding and highlighting the little moments during and in between the action. 

There are hundreds of tutorials online that will teach you settings, lighting, and composition. Learn and practice them, but don't get so caught up chasing the perfect shot that you forget to actually live the moment you’re trying to capture.

A camera is a tool, not a barrier. So, pick one up, slow down, see more, but every once in a while remember to lower it and just be there.