How to make time for photography

August 17, 2020 in journal

One of the recurring themes in the messages I get from other photographers is about their struggle to find time for photography on a daily basis.

Today, we are so busy all the time! It's the busyness era. If you aren't doing something, you are falling behind. It's all about the hustle, right?

This is an issue I'm deeply interested in. Recently, I read the book related to this topic, Make Time, and in this video I share some of the key points from the book, along with some of my own, all applied to photography.

We'll see why we are so busy, why we need to make time for photography, the highlight of the day, and several tips to make time for photography.

How I'm regaining my ability to focus by reading

April 21, 2020 in journal

I'm a big advocate of new technologies, but also very aware of the dangers of smartphones and always-connected devices in general. While they can be tools of empowerment for artists, they can also be the source of distraction.

A distracted mind can’t take photos. Let’s see how reading can rebuild our capacity to focus and increase our attention span, and how that affects our photography.

Staying fit and sane during a quarantine

March 27, 2020 in journal

There's no better tool for photography than a healthy body and a sharp brain. It's not easy to keep them that way during these times, though, when billions of people are confined to their homes. This is how I try to stay in shape, both physically and mentally, through this mandatory quarantine.

The most important pieces of gear

March 26, 2020 in journal

Are your brain and your body.

Your body takes you and your camera to places where images live. Your brain finds them.

Take proper care of both and your photography will take care of itself.

Keep the streak going

February 10, 2020 in journal

I try to move as much as I can. Sometimes, I need a little push, so I've developed a system that does that: I measure how active I am on a daily basis, and try to reach a fixed goal every single day. Keeping the streak going for as long as I can is a powerful motivation game for me. This is how it works.

On walking

January 31, 2020 in journal

As you might know, a few weeks ago I did El Camino and walked over 130 miles in 6 days. Little did I know that after that experience I'd become -even more- addicted to walking. I went from averaging around 4 miles a day last year to 9 miles during these last two months. These are some of my thoughts on walking.

Best books I've read lately

December 04, 2019 in journal

On Writing, by Stephen King. The guy knows how to write, I couldn't put it down.
On the shortness of life, by Seneca. 2,000 years later and the content of these three letters is still relevant. Beautiful written, too.
Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius. I read it as part of my study of Stoicism. Incredibly deep and humbling thoughts from the most powerful man of his time.
The obstacle is the way, by Ryan Holiday. A good introduction to Stoicism, and an easy read. I'm currently reading his The daily stoic.
Atomic Habits, by James Clear. Tips and tricks on how to build good habits and get rid of the bad ones. His is one of the very few newsletters I subscribe to and look forward to reading.
Buddha: a story of enlightenment, by Deepak Chopra. A book about spiritualism written by an alternative medicine advocate is probably the last thing I'd expect myself to fall in my hands. The story of Buddha is a beautiful one and this book does a terrific job. One of my favorite reads of the last few years, hands down.
Goodbye, things, by Fumio Sasaki. Minimalism is all the rage nowadays and I'm all on board. This was one of the first books I've read on the topic and it's still my favorite.
Come comida real, by Carlos Ríos. This one is in Spanish. Nutrition is another topic I've been exploring during the last few months and this book does a great job at explaining why most of the "food" you find in a grocery store isn't real food at all. It also shows the benefits of eating healthy and why you shouldn't be ashamed of it (I struggled with this!).
10% Happier, by Dan Harris. How the author got into meditation and how it's helped improving his day-to-day life. Meditation and mental health is yet another topic I'm interested in, and this book is unique in that shows a person's experience with the practice, instead of a boring manual of things you should and should not do.
The art of creative thinking, by Rod Junkins. Stories and lessons from famous and not so famous artists. I think one should carve their own path and not necessarily repeat what others have done in the past, but I found plenty of inspiration in this book.