Going Pro series pt 2: Delay Instant Gratification

posted January 18, 2012 in Happenings, Photographer Resources

Today I will continue my blog post series on moving full-time photography.

All too often we work for something we can’t see, but pray the results are somewhere on a foggy horizon.

Like chopping firewood, washing a car, or mowing a lawn, we love seeing the instant fruits of our labor. However, what happens, after years and years of work, there’s not much to see?

We have two options:

Give up and resign to the fact that it isn’t worth doing.
Knuckle down & stay focused, knowing the results will be worth it.

Take high school chemistry class, for example. Some of us arrived at the correct answer, second-nature. Some interpreted the funky mole symbols divided by delta stuff and manage (I’m proud of my “B” in college chem 102). And some quit. Like having a baby, loosing weight, or growing a creative business, the process is much sweeter if you can see it, feel it, measure it, and share it. And there are those who had to work extra hard and persevere, years later see the fringe on the horizon. “God, give me patience now!” we pray.

Deep inside, we all rest easy that good things do come to those who wait. Things money can not buy, but efforts which put us closer to genuine happiness, builds strength and discipline, and leads us more to a fulfilling life. The benefits of delayed gratification are many. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that the cliche runs true.

But when you study for months and months for what seems like the most difficult test in your life, waiting for the results tests nervous of anxiety. Anticipating the results might look something like this: But the reward is bliss when you arrive on the other side!!!

When you find out the great news, it’s off to celebrate! Here’s what 1,000 words of happiness with frozen yogurt looks like: If we look like we are 11th grade, it’s because we both feel that way! I am so proud of Krista!!! I also think we found the fountain of youth… which lies somewhere between the local frozen yogurt stand and an Polaroid moment. It’s nice to cherish something in our hand, a tangible memory not necessarily for the final product but for the laborious process to arrive at that destination.

Photographers, do you dream for analog simplicity with instant gratification? My solution on the cheap, a pair of Instax cameras VERY cute together, because sometimes one good thing needs a match: I have lots of fun shooting the $60 Fujifilm Instax 2010 or the trendy $82 Instax Mini 25. I highly recommend them both if you are looking for a genuine old school analog creative tool with instant gratification, sans iPhone. Fujifilm Instax Mini film will run you $15 for 20 shots (75 cents a shot), but it’ll last longer than a Diet Coke. You frame then right away, hang up the results on the wall, or scan them old school style if you want to share them (I recommend 300 dpi JPEG). Now THAT’s instant gratification!

Brides, if I bust out the old Polaroid on your wedding day, I promise it isn’t a squirt gun, but will create a tangible memory, a keepsake you can hold and share on your special day before the day is over. Now take THAT, digital!

Click here to read part 3 of the series: Know When to Make The Jump.

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Going Pro series pt 1: Take the Big Step

Shooting Polaroids at Wedding {Anti-photo booth in Greece}

11 Tips on Getting the Most of a Photography Workshop