Nutrition and Exercise for Photographers: my simple approach

We, outdoor photographers, need to be able to deal with the heat and the cold, the sun and the snow, standing up at the same spot for hours waiting for that shot, or hiking for miles looking for an image.

If we can go further, stay out for longer, deal with uncomfortable situations better, and remain focused on the goal, our chances to make a good image increase exponentially. 

For the last few years, but especially in this very challenging 2020, I’ve been experimenting with different approaches to nutrition, exercise and lifestyle in general that are making me stronger, and in the process, helping me grow as a photographer.

In this video, I want to share some of those ideas and practices, because they might help you too.

Slow and steady wins the race

I thought she wasn't going to make it. It was just the beginning of another long day in the Camino and she seemed to be struggling quite a bit. With more than 16 miles ahead of us, she was limping. Overcoming the pain, the strong winds, the constant rain and the muddy trail wasn't going to be easy. I was fighting my own battles, and quickly passed her.

As the day unfolded, I ran into her multiple times. Somehow, she'd managed to keep up with me at a much slower pace. I was stopping every few minutes to take photos and film some locations. I didn't see her stopping even once: her pace was slow, but relentless. She ended up making it before me.

Photography is a similar journey. Some days feel like big steps: for me, that's a foggy day or a day spent in the mountains. It feels amazing to know you've just made a great image, but it's what we do in between that sets our pace. Do we stop and wait until the next big leap? Or do we keep going, even if only slowly?

I believe photography is something we must do everyday. This involves much more than just shooting: working on our images, starting that book we've been putting off, planning our next trip, sharing our vision on a blog post or youtube video, and of course getting some inspiration from other photographers and artists.

We are here for the long game. Some days will require putting our head down and push forward, even if it feels like we are limping and not progressing much. We need to be relentless because those days are the ones that will define us and the ones that will make the difference in the end.