You have to believe

This is a job that will hammer away at you. As fast as it will prop you up, it will tear you down, and you’ll have to rebuild. And that’s where you need to ask the question. Because when you’re high, you’re high – savor those moments – but when it hits and you’re working your way through, you’ll have to make the call and decide. Will you let the muscle tear, rebuild, and become that much stronger? Or will the skin scar, leaving a permanent mark on your conscious?

You have to believe.

When someone asks for the shot you didn’t take, they didn’t like the shot that mattered most, or they didn’t see how much you put in do not let it scar. Don’t let it pool, and dry, and stick. Believe in your own infinite potential.

Let yourself rebuild.

Imagine there is no tomorrow. There is no yesterday. There are no weddings or industry or actions. There are no sells. There is no market. There’s just you. Me. Us…you and me and we. As photographers. As humans. And we create.

Not mythic, massive, overstated, and overbuilt, but true and nourishing and loving. Not to show how good we are, but simply to show who we are. A celebration of life being lived. Stuff that in every shot you take.

Live free and open.

Crush resistance. Dive into the pool of your body and mind, reach in, and pull out the you waiting to be found. Do not dwell in hurt. Forget the scars. That isn’t you, and it will not help you. The hurt will only make the real you retreat. The frustration will only push you to escape the very connection to the world that lets us be the people we are.

This is the truth: There is no right, there is no wrong, there is no war to be wage, but there are battles to be had, and the fight isn’t with everyone else. It’s with you. Own your mistakes, wear your success. Step into today, feel your heart beat, let the air into your lungs, and cherish it all. Then sleep well. Get up. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Own your life.

About the Author
Spencer is a storyteller with an indelible belief in the raw humanity of weddings. 

With 10 years of experience running Brooklyn-based 5 West Studios, he has developed a style that combines influences from fine art and photojournalism. He has also enjoyed time as a designer, creative director, and filmmaker. 

Spencer is the founder of the industry blog, Ground Glass, as well as a doting husband and father of two beautiful children in Brooklyn, NY. 

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