My Two Photographic Secret Weapons

All photos copyright by Carla Coulson.

Dear Photographers,

I am often asked by photographers what photographic techniques or camera I use that helps me take the kind of photos I do.

I am sure I have a perplexed look on my face for a couple of seconds before I respond.

There is no doubt a good camera is a great tool that every photographer needs and of course we need to know the basics of photography to master a situation but I usually respond with these two words – curiosity and passion.

You probably are looking perplexed at home in from your computer screen or phone reading this, thinking is that what makes her pictures happen?

Well, they are the two things that drive me since I picked up a camera. They are the things that push me to learn new techniques or try something new.

Curiosity sometimes gets me into hot water but most times it finds me great pictures. Curiosity provokes me to keep going when I feel I haven’t found anything interesting and it’s my personal mentor sitting on my shoulder whispering ‘go on Carla, crawl under that fence, you can do it, there is something magic on the other side‘. Curiosity taunts me, teases me and eggs me on and have curiosity to thank each day when I go home a happy photographer.

Her sidekick, Passion is my second secret weapon. Passion for life, people and for what I do saunters hand in hand with Curiosity. They are a dynamic duo these two and when they are switched on, I am just putty in their hands.

Passion is an emotional creature, she makes me feel the music deep within, she lets me slip into the rhythm of the dance, the procession or the snip of the scissors at the barbers. Passion makes me get out of bed in the morning when the light still hasn’t made her appearance and skip off into the morning waiting for the magic.

Passion connects me to my subjects and makes me care, really care about the person in front of me.

The best photos I have ever taken were with these two ‘tools’ in my photography kit.

Don’t fret over what kind of camera you have or whether you know enough, if you have curiosity and passion in your toolkit you are destined for great photos.

They will sweep you along, push you to learn,  keep going when you want to give up and be inspired to take the photos you dream of.