Passport

With my commercial work, I have an agenda. I know what I have to do and what I have to produce. I have to be creative within that agenda box, and that's challenge enough. But many times when I'm shooting stock, like on those days in Mexico City, there's no agenda, and perhaps I was looking for something with which to challenge myself and my creativity.

Sometimes these games are centered on equipment. I'll start out thinking, okay, today I'm going to think close-ups, or long lenses, or on-camera flash. Why this day was green, I'm not sure. Green for go? Green for refreshing? Green for I hope these shots will make money? Maybe green looked good that day in the LCD of the EOS-1Ds Mark II...who knows?

I can tell you this, though. The self-assignment within the assignment is a way of energizing myself, of making familiar situations a challenge. And when my mind gets into the groove of the challenge, I'm amazed at what I begin to see. Which, I guess, is the whole point. Call it mind-eye coordination: think of it and you'll see it. Whatever "it" is doesn't just appear, of course--it's always there, but playing these little games opens me up to seeing it. Maybe the games simply help me to see more of what's around me.

I'm tempted to say, "Give it a try--you'll find it's easy being green," but that would be a pretty cheap punch line.