Exploring Curiosity
Written by Brad Iwen
I’m always on the lookout for that spark, that fuse that ignites the next big idea. Let me clarify that. By big idea, I don’t necessarily mean some ground-breaking revelation that will change the course of my life. It certainly could mean that, but I’m also talking about the little things- like a color combination for a logo or a font for a website. Or even the right spice or herb to elevate that recipe I’ve been working on. I find inspiration in books and magazines, music, films, architecture, and nature. We are confronted with the reality that there might be too much information coming at us these days from every angle. For me, the key to harnessing the right data for inspiration and ultimately completing a successful project for a client comes from the practice of attempting to be as open-minded and curious as possible.
As a photographer, I’m always challenging myself to explore and be curious. I always approach a scene without a camera first, so that I can just look around, observe, and see what I can see without the pressure of having to always just roll up and take a perfect image. Once I find a good composition that I’m happy with, I then move around to explore every other possibility I can come up with. That might mean getting the camera closer to the ground or high up into the sky. It might mean adding or subtracting light. It might mean changing the focal length or experimenting with time. I constantly remind myself that there is always more than one way to tell the story. That is my mantra. The three images featured above are a great example of this theory in that they were all taken within 2500 ft of each other at drastically different times of day and utilizing different techniques and compositional elements.
This works the exact same way when I am designing a website, writing copy, or even cooking. Experimenting with the layout and arrangement of ingredients can totally change the outcome of a project. Taking a minute to step back, rearrange our thoughts, and opening ourselves up to new ideas during every task can lead to great success.
On a recent adventure to Colorado, I discovered an amazing location that offered so many photographic possibilities that it was very challenging to edit down all of my ideas. I explored without my camera to gain as much perspective as possible about the landscape and terrain. A pen and a notebook are two of my most important (and favorite) tools, and I spent some time just taking notes about the images that I wanted to create and how I could best bring those images to life. I thought about time of day and how the light would feel as the sun and moon moved across the sky. I worked through a myriad of different techniques and I squinted to envision outcomes. This is my ritual that I really focus on practicing on every single project. It helps me arrive at a higher level of success and keeps me from feeling regret in the future for not trying a different approach in the past. I focus on finding all of the possibilities now so my future self won’t be frustrated. Am I 100% successful? Not a chance. As time passes and skills and technology evolve, there are definitely times when I might think in the present that I would have tackled a past problem differently, but the exercise of working through various outcomes on every project will always lead to greater success in the end.
Experimenting with different ways of approaching a project can also be beneficial in the future if the message needs to be tweaked or if the audience changes. Simply having worked through a number of potential solutions will give greater insight on how to adapt a project to accomplish new outcomes. My goal with every client is to always have the patience and discipline to take a step back, examine a world of possibilities, and then narrow the scope to pinpoint the best route to success.