Level Up

I have never became as good as I wanted in photography. That's great of course, I can improve, go for ideas, goals to achieve and paths to go.

But I mean that I'm lazy as well.

There is no problem with explaining what is and what should be done on current photo to be proud of it and say that it's very good. When I'm watching photos, good and great pics made by famous or simply good photographers I know how this stunning landscape was done, why this macro photo looks magical, or why this portrait has a soul. I can easily explain why such and such guy is the best wild nature photographer and thousands or millions are not.

If we pick a fellow like me or one of thousands which are spread around the world, who has the camera & lenses with all the skills needed to use it and whole knowledge about how to postprocess photos. What makes difference between them and those few % who public work in famous magazines, or people pay to see big prints of their photos in the galleries ?

Why one can be important for the worldwide photography, and the other is famous among his friends&family by uploading almost-good pics on his facebook ?

As long as equipment is fairy cheep and available for everybody, and the whole knowledge is for free in internet, there is only one last factor. 

Work.

Time passing on scouting, searching, listening, understanding, shooting, postprocesing and then returning, improving, asking, thinking, reading, tying again. Walking running, climbing, jumping, flying or digging, swimming and diving. WAITING, REPITING and THINKING all over again. There is no talent in great photography. There is only time sacrificed on all those little things. Every of those words hides whole process, working on every single one moves you step by step to your goal. You did two ? Great, but why not five ? Someone have done fifteen already. Work harder, to be sixty six steps further then the others.

And what happens if all this has been already done ? There is nobody in front of to chase ? Nearly impossible, but only in this case you can spread your hands and say “I don't know what to do!”.

And now apply it for whatever you are doing in your life. That's universal.

Why to write all this ? Because finally I found something hard enough to say “how the hell they are doing that !”. I've tried plenty different kinds of photography, all was easy.

Underwater world was always calling me, by TV documentary programs, books, magazines. It seduced me few years ago when I first time plunged my head into the Mediterranean sea . I knew that I want to do photos THERE ! As good or better than those from tv, books or internet.

Last year was important, I'll remember it maybe mostly because of that → this salty water and first UW photos. Done by simple all-in-one camera, with great results. Too good ! It shouldn't, it can't be that easy.

And now I'm here, where I wanted to be, with equipment which I wanted to have, trying to achieve it... But it looks impossible !

That's the most difficult thing what I tried to do with the camera. Returning over and over again to the water trying to get at least something and finishing with nothing... what a motivation !