You’re Allowed To Be Wildly Ambitious
PLUS: Last call for the $200 Moment gift card contest!
Habits are comfortable. And as a results they can stifle creativity. Time and time again, I’ll meet photographers—be it hobbyists or professionals—that have developed a routine of work that remains inside this bubble of comfort. They continue to do the same scope of work because it’s what they know.
I’ll hear the same “I wish I could…” statements from almost all of these creatives that are yearning to grow outside of their bubble. To which my response is always, “What’s stopping you now?” In my years of having largely these same conversations across many countries, I’ve come to realize that a lot of people can forget to be ambitious.
The Details
This image was shot on the Mamiya 7 and the 80mm F4.0 with Reflx 250D film. This film stock is unaltered Kodak Vision3 5207 motion picture film that’s packaged in a 120 cartridge for medium format cameras.
The scene was metered for ISO 100 to overexpose the film by a little over one stop. The aperture was set to F8.0 and the shutter speed to 1/125. The Profoto A2 and A10 were used as key and fill lights respectively.
The Story
This image started as this thread of an idea for a modern Mongolian princess documented on film. Or at least, an interpretation of that concept. I jotted the concept down in my Notion database and would start pulling some inspiration over the course of a few weeks. Eventually, I’d bring in my team to help develop the creative.
We would spend a few more weeks discussing the concept back and forth. Fleshing out the visual inspiration. Pulling design elements from fashion archives. Mapping out the technical requirements. It would take roughly 3 months of effort to create this single portrait. Why? Because I had an ambitious process I wanted to test.
You see, it’s not just about this image. Sure, getting this shot brought a sense of achievement for the entire team. But the real purpose of this production was to challenge ourselves to do things we haven’t done before. Things like working with an international fashion house on new textiles. Or working with a film lab on a new development process. And even custom building jewelry that couldn’t be bought off-the-shelf.
My team and I had this ambition to do things that we’ve never done as a collective. The result is a portrait that’s easy on the eyes; nothing groundbreaking if I’m being completely honest. But the process involved to get this image? That required ambition. Ambition that would be necessary to keep growing beyond our bubble.
The true achievement of this image is that it solidified an approach that my team and I can use for an even more ambitious story in the months to come. Another step in the journey. And that’s what I’d like you to take away this week. Be wildly ambitious when it comes to your approach to photography.
Great work is the byproduct of even greater effort. And that effort is the byproduct of ambition. While the results may not seem groundbreaking from one to the next, if we can cultivate an ambitious process that scales over time, we can set ourselves up for grow beyond artificial limitations. These limitations that many creatives lock themselves into. So, stop saying things like I can’t or I wish. Instead, ask yourself how. How can you achieve this? How would you plan this? Develop a habit of thinking in terms of processes rather than limitations. And give yourself permission to be wildly ambitious.
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New August Contest!
Each month, I’ll be giving away a $200 gift card to the Moment Shop where the winner can save big on their next camera, lens, bag, or courses. Moment has so many creative products to choose from and $200 can absolutely make for a better deal.
How am I picking the winner? All you have to do is be a free member of this community and leave a comment on this post. As with every contest, I’ll be randomly picking one person, confirming they meet the requirements and contacting them directly before announcing the winner publicly.
Once again, this contest is void where prohibited by law. Good luck!
My thanks to the team at Moment! Not only for this contest but for being the longest supporter of my work online. They’re a lean team of passionate creators that truly believe in supporting other creatives on their journey. Whether it’s a new camera, lens, workshop, or just some great articles, visit ShopMoment.com today.
What’s Next?
I’ll be experimenting with more motion picture film in the weeks to come. Once I’ve nailed down the process with my film lab, I’ll be sure to put together a dedicated post that goes into more details about this journey.
Anyway, that’s enough for this week. See ya next time!
GB
I am often guilty of limiting myself but proud to say I just delivered my first photo essay for a publication this week and all I had to do was tell me self I could.
Stunning image and thanks for the bit of inspiration. Cheers!