Letters to My Daughter, October 2015
25 October 2015Remember when I brought instant cameras to our trip to a water park in Jakarta? Those disposable cameras actually thought me a few things and I'd like to share what I've learned with you.
The only instruction I could find in the camera is this: Great for outdoor activities, swimming, biking, skiing! I had to figure it out and I knew that I couldn't count those first few shots. Papa helped me to figure it out and I finally got the hang of it. Life is pretty much like that. For certain, life doesn't come with a manual or instruction. You'll make mistakes, you'll have to continue to learn, you have to ask for help. And all of that is OK. Because eventually, you'll figure it out.
Each camera has 27 exposures. I brought two to the water park and that was my first time trying to shoot underwater with an instant camera. So, I knew exactly that I wouldn't get 54 great shots. The scan came back and I was right. There were only few shots that I really liked (all of them are here). And that's OK. Shooting with instant camera and learning about the possibilities ahead has taught me about managing my own my expectation. I think it's a very important lesson as it helped preventing me from getting disappointed. So whenever you can, try to learn about the situation around you to help you manage your own expectation.
Shooting underwater is difficult (well, perhaps it'd be easier with proper equipment). I was always wobbly, I couldn't see clearly, I didn't know what't the best range to shoot, I had no clue about the lighting. So what I did was trusting my guts and let go. So when you are in a situation with many uncertainties, listen to your heart and trust your gut, because they don't lie.
I had a vision of the type of underwater images I'd like to capture. That vision was not 100% captured in these pictures (not even close to 50%. Ha!). When you try to do something new or learn a new skill for the first time, maybe you'll nail right away, maybe you won't. And that's OK. It doesn't mean that you're not good or that you don't have certain skills. It just means that there are more opportunities to learn and improve.
Jars of stars and oceans of love,
Bun-bun
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