Tea first, then photography.

This title and concept comes from an article written by Philip Lee Harvey and was discussing an interaction between him and another photographer.  I forget the details however I do recall that when they finally reached the destination they were going to shoot Philip pulled out his camera while his companion told him "tea first, then photography.

I love that story and Mr Harvey told it well. The concept is a great one which is that as in all great activities you must take your time. Contemplation about what you are trying to do, and how you plan to do it can only bring about more enjoyment and a greater chance of success.

I spent the day in the darkroom making some contact prints and some 8x10 enlargements of some shots from vacation. I like the darkroom, it is a quiet, cool place to focus on the photos that were taken. I remember each shot, what I was thinking, how I was feeling and what I wanted to get out of the shot.

This is why it is important for me to think about what I am doing. So days, weeks, months or even years later I can look at an image and know what I wanted to do. So in a digital world, where cameras can capture an image, post process in the camera and upload directly to Facebook, take the time to have a cup of tea first, then photography.