Self-Portrait - Merrill, MI

I've already posted this image in my trip report about going to Maine. For those not up to date, it's been going on for a week and it's so far gone on without a single major incident. The worse being I totally underestimated the time it would take to get from Duluth, MN to Marquette, MI. I seemed to have forgotten the whole state of Wisconsin, that that's a tale for another blog on another day.

The commentary today is about why we do what we do. Why are we. What I'm talking about is something a bit more in-depth than simply "we are what we are" and that's the why. I'm looking for the real why for each of us.

I guess it matters in that as you zero in what why you do what you do, you might be able to avoid distractions that take you away from what makes sense.

Today's world has so many opportunities. With the adevent of global communication, you can become involved with so many different things that eventually you might actually not do anything because you're involved with everything. That's the problem with being one inch deep everywhere. I think getting tuned into your "why" while help avoid you from taking off on a tangent. It's the shiny object syndrome. You're distracted by something shiny and your off your carefully planned course.

Hows this apply to photography? It's about finding your own style and developing it into something with real meat, something that can b identified with you.

Finding out "why" you do what you do is just another way of getting to know yourself better than you do.

Btw, why did I include this picture of me on this blog? It's of me doing a relatively uncommon thing of riding a motorcycle all the way across the country. Why would anyone do that or why would I do what? It's because it's there. For me, the trip is the point and the destination is simply gravy. I'm doing it because it's different and not typical. Otherwise, why do it?

Cheers

Tom

Epic Ride To Maine 2011