A famous saying is that you can be whatever you want. And to some degree, that is true. To be whatever you want has to do with connection, education, knowledge, and work. Many hours of hard work. And sacrifice.
The 10.000 hour rule
We all heard of the 10.000-hour rule, which says that when you put 10.000 hours of work into what you want to be good at, you will make it. 10.000 hours of showing up, putting effort in it and doing the work. It just does not come out of itself.
Let’s say you want to be a truck driver. That is a great job, The open road, Freedom, Go whenever you want. But it is also long hours, rushing to be on time, not seeing your family during the week if you drive an international route.
Let’s say you want to be a professional athlete. We all like sports. And we all want excel in it. Win and be one of the best. Do you feel the rush of standing on that podium, receiving the medal or the cup? But the other side is that it is one of the poorest paying jobs in the world. You have the glory, but you are always trying to find money to pay the bills. Gym bills, Paying your coach, And the hours you spend training. A typical day for an athlete starts at 6:00 or 7:00 with light exercise. Then at 11 again weightlifting of power training. Then eating and sleeping until 3 o’clock, again a skill training after your skill training eating and sometimes training in the evening. Go to bed around 10:00. And that day in, day out. A full schedule. You are constantly working to peak at the next game or championship.
Sacrifice and hard work
When you do the things you love, sacrifice and hard work are needed. It just does not come instantly. As a photographer, I sometimes look at the images from years ago, and then I am proud of the achievement. I am pleased that my work grew and became so much better than the work from years ago. And still think I can do better after more hard work and shooting more.
To become better, you have to do the work, the sacrifice. You have to show up and put yourself to it.
Challenge the street
Street photography works the same way. There are challenges to overcome, fears to be conquered and work to be put in to become the street photographer you want to be. To make images that make you proud.
Challenge the street, experience it, immerse yourself in the surroundings and observe what happens around you. The streets are alive and document it.
