Shoshin "The Beginner's Mind"

 Trying something for the first time is always quite exciting, you tend to let your mind wander with possibilities and imagine how far you can take things. You haven’t set those limitations that we often set on ourselves after we understand how truly difficult something is and how far we have to go to achieve the lofty goal that our novice selves have set. Shoshin or “the beginner’s mind” in zen buddhism refers to a state of openness and a willingness to accept the unknown. 

Photographing people was never something I was highly interested in because I never found a way to make it authentically mine, in some way or another I was just trying to copy something I had seen before. A few nights ago however; I was thrilled I decided to try and go make photographs of a local musician at a small bar/venue. I found something in the photographs that spoke to me and I realized it was the raw emotion and the vulnerability of someone putting themselves and their art on stage for all to see and be involved with that really resonated with me. In my beginner's mindset I thought of a world of possibilities of exploring a new path adjacent to the one I'm currently on in my photography career and trying my hand at concert photography. I look forward to exploring this further and sharing the outcome.