I have been a photographer the last 10 years. In that time there is one thing that is common across all disciplines of photography. Is is truly a skill set that exposes you to things and places that are bigger than your self. I would call this “The Portal of Photography.” no matter who you speak with, every one is going to have an amazing story that places them in a space that they previously would not have thought they could dwell in.
Being able to have your own story and travel to Switzerland and take photos is something you only thought certain people were able to experience. Normally you would see it on TV or PBS. Surrounded by mountains and running along the river was a house sitting on hills of rolling grass. The grass so green and lush you could see that the water rolling off from the mountains kept life in it. The wind blew, and moved across the surface of my face. There was something magical about it, that could only be read in books.
Walking inside of the house was warm. It was made out of a wooden frame with 8 inch by 8 inches studs and rafters of what was an old wooden barn but was filled with the smell of cheese, cakes and warm food. Sitting in the middle of the floor was a bronze pot with a black tar one third of the way around the bottom. There was wood crafting tools hanging on walls. The floor was laid with stone and concrete of two different varieties. A yellow mustard colored liquid was sitting inside with steam coming from it. Sitting in the hand made wooden chair and watching this bronze bot, the yellow liquid never came to a boil it just simmered there.
A man tall in stature stood 6 foot 6 inches, gray hair, blue eyes, and a shaven face came out the back with a long wooden paddle. He placed the paddle inside of the bronze pot and just began to churn this yellow liquid. The more he turned the smoother the liquid became. After watching this man for 45 minutes. I learned that he was a cheese maker. Who has done this for 40 years and is a master of his craft. People come from all over the world to taste and buy his cheese. He even wins competitions for his cheese. Once he was finished a few hours later and they were right. It was truly the best cheese I’ve have ever tasted, warm, melted inside of our mouth and was a treat to beat.
The Portal of Photography did not just take me to Switzerland. It was an introduction to ea 6 foot 6 inch man that chose something simple and became a master whose better than anyone else in the world. It was developing an appreciation for cheese and the hard work it takes to make it. The culture of people the sound of the wind moving through the Swiss-alps rustling snow from the top. What are you becoming a master of? What is in your bronze pot that you can churn to make the world notice and come see your craft? Photography is not just taking photos is has become a portal to become a member of something bigger than yourself. Pressing the shutter is the only way to see the world through a tiny class and freeze the moment. So that you can always go back through the portal to a place that changed your life.