My base level of happiness is pretty high. Sure, I have bad days, but by and large I’m happy with my life. I think a lot of it has to with how I approach photography, and specifically how I’m always seeking beauty.
I’m always looking for beauty. I’m looking for the gorgeous light, the flattering and interesting angles, prompting inspiring expressions. It’s part of what we do as photographers, whether it’s street photography, portraits, events or even landscapes. And we all know that your chances of finding something go up greatly if you’re looking for it.
My friend Courtney always said she had a knack for always finding four-leaf clovers. I thought that was fun, and interesting, and I saw it happen more than once. Given an area of clovers, she would come up with one, sometimes without even looking very hard.
I, on the other hand, don’t know if I’ve ever found one. You know why? I don’t look. If I happen upon some clover, it honestly doesn’t occur to me to look for a four-leaf clover. Courtney, on the other hand, had somehow trained her brain to find that pattern in a sea of clovers. And once she knew she could find them, it became easier and more common for her to do it. And it all started with the very first one. Now, it’s a routine, a part of her life. She calls it her superpower.
Early in my photography career, I started doing an exercise that I continue to do every single day. I take mental photos, even when I don’t have my camera. I take note of how the light hits the building in front of me. I take a mental “click” when I see a sweet moment between mother and child on the street. I trained myself to see beauty around me, and now it is second nature, and part of my every day life. It doesn’t matter if I’m in an alley next to a stinky dumpster, I’m going to find a heart-shaped leaf at my feet, or notice how the texture of the brick blurs into soft color if you look at it from a new angle. I have trained my brain to look for the beauty around me, and you know what? I find it. Every time. It’s my superpower.
Research indicates that exposure to aesthetically pleasing environments can positively affect people. Specifically, views of natural beauty have been shown to lower stress, stimulate creative thinking, and even improve healing. Being in a beautiful environment can actually make you feel happier. So I believe my practice of seeking beauty improves my general happiness levels. So my improved happiness is kind of a side effect of my practice of seeking out beauty. It has become something I rely on in my day to day life to lift my spirits and appreciate life.
And you know what? This practice doesn’t have to be limited to visual stimuli. I also seek out the beauty in the people around me. I love hearing their stories. I love hearing what’s special about them. And it’s in those moments that I can capture who they are, not just what they look like. I find myself falling a little in love with all of my subjects, and it gives me a unique perspective in capturing their likeness, in freezing their beauty for that moment and then for all time.
Sometimes it’s harder than others. Sometimes I have to really search for the beauty. Sometimes, I have to step in. I might have to rearrange things around me, create my own light. Change my perspective. Change the tools I’m using. Change the words I’m saying. And when I do need to step in, I don’t stop until I’ve found the beauty, however it has taken shape.
If you find yourself not seeing beauty around you, ask yourself: Are you looking for it? Are you seeking it out? And when it’s difficult, are you changing the way you’re looking, or what you’re doing, or your perspective? Because the beauty is always there around us. Always. We just aren’t always looking. Whether it’s in our surroundings, or the people and things around us, it’s always there.
Wherever you are in this moment, take a moment to look around. Where do you see beauty? Is there a lovely tree or flowers in your field of view? Is there interesting architecture? Do you have a photo of a person you love? Are your Jimmy Choos really pretty? Whether or not you’re a photographer, you can incorporate this practice into your daily life. Seek out the beautiful things. Appreciate them. Appreciate the people who created them. It just might become your own superpower.
