Let me count the ways

The world can be a negative space sometimes and, unfortunately, that negativity can leech into our creative endeavours. With changing social media algorithms, the constant influx of new and better equipment, and a sense that everyone, everywhere, all at once is creating the best thing ever, it can be difficult to show ourselves the love and admiration that we give freely to others. But what if we did admire ourselves? How would your creative practice change with an uptick in self-love? In which ways might your art transform if you leaned into who you were right now, instead of who you wish you were?

Don’t get me wrong, growth and learning are an integral part of honing any craft, but so is pausing in the moment to take in your current successes. If we never pause to appreciate who we are, we may find we aren’t who we want to be in the future. We might also find that we never reach a point of satisfaction. Afterall, we make the decision to accept the metrics we use to measure success, and we can hone those metrics to create a better sense of well-being. When the finish line is constantly moving it’s hard to feel accomplished, which is why checkpoints are so important. So, let’s do that right now! In a radical act of self-love, I thought I would share with you some of my favourite photos and why they mean so much to me. Then I’ll help you do the same!

As I mentioned in my blog post “The Art of Cat and Mouse” I took a four month break from social media back in 2021, just before launching The Dusty Unknown. During that time, I decided to set a few goals for myself. The first was to photograph a porcupine, the second was to get out in the field as often as possible, and the third was to try and develop my creative focus in terms of the style and themes of my work. I love this shot because I think that it encompasses all of those goals. Not only did I force myself to drive the 25 minutes to the porcupine sighting, I also walked through hip-deep snow in hiking boots, took the photo at eye-level, and then promptly deleted it off my memory card while excitedly showing my mother-in-law later that day. Yep, that happened. I was never able to recover the file, which had optimal lighting, but I was able to move past that moment of frustration and use the second best image to create a final product that I am extremely proud of.

There is something wonderful about photographing a new species, but I tend to get so excited that I completely forget about the artistic elements of the shot. I love this photo because I managed to capture not only the species, a brown creeper, but also the creeper’s feeding environment—with the added artistic flair of creamy bokeh to create a balancing negative space. I remember feeling a deep sense of excitement and accomplishment when I took this shot. I was almost giddy on the trail after spending the better part of a morning following these busy bodies through the bush.

I also love camouflage shots that give the viewer something to search for. And, finally being able to capture a similar shot myself, I felt like I had accomplished a secret goal that I hadn’t vocalized prior to that moment. The icing on the cake was that I had planned a photography trip to capture a brown creeper specifically, despite having never seen one in real life. It was one of the first times I felt like a “real” wildlife photographer.

This photo of a horned grebe is one of my all time favourites and marks another photography milestone for me. Early last year, I decided to get myself a pair of hip waders and spend some time testing out shots inside the water, rather than in a kayak or on land looking in. I also wanted to practice letting wildlife approach me as a way of embracing ethical photography practices. Lastly, I wanted to be able to set up my shots beforehand, using the foreground and background of my choosing. After weeks of scouting out various spots, I decided to try my luck in a small slough where a pair of horned grebes were nesting. I love this shot because it worked out even better than I planned. The colours of the marsh reeds echo the grebe’s feathers, the water had a gorgeous reflection, and the grebe was comfortable enough to swim by me several times over the course of the evening. I feel good every time I look at this image, and it reminds me that hard work and patience really do pay off.

I knew going into our trip to Hawaii that I wouldn’t be able to spend much time out with my camera, but that I also couldn’t come home without a sea turtle shot. To be honest, I thought I was fooling myself. There was no way I was going to see a sea turtle…I saw SO MANY. But seeing isn’t the same as photographing, and there is a big difference between a thoughtful photograph and a quick snapshot.

After weeks of snapping various shots of turtles in every possible situation, I felt like my luck, and my time, were running out. I was starting to get discouraged—I didn’t have underwater camera gear to capture a swimming turtle, and I just couldn’t get a shot on land that I was happy with. I love this shot because it proved me wrong.

Sleepy turtles on the beach aren’t as photogenic as you might think; they dry off, losing their vibrant colours, and close their eyes, making them look…well, dead. To be honest, when we arrived at the Punalu’u Black Sand Beach I didn’t ever bother taking my camera out. Thankfully, I changed my mind when I saw this gorgeous turtle lying on the volcanic sand under an overcast sky. I love how the colours turned out, I love how black is echoed through out the shot, and I am really happy with my decision to zoom in a bit to make things more intimate.

So, what’s the moral of this gushy little blog entry? I think it’s as simple as it comes—love yourself. Love the victories and the failures, love the small successes and the big mistakes, love as many moments along your artistic journey as you possibly can and, most of all, love your art. Tell that most vulnerable sense of self that the things you create will always be treasured, regardless of how the world changes. Your art matters. You matter. Create your art and love it with every fibre of your being. But, actually.

If you read this blog entry and have an Instagram page, I want you to tell me why you love your own work. Tag @dusty_unknown in one of your own posts and tell me why you love it. If you do, I will share your post in a story on my account.