They. Ever wonder who “they” are? To me they are the nay sayers, the ones who want to help you keep your head out of the clouds by telling you why it won’t work, or why you can’t do it. They are everywhere in every walk of life. Always ready to pounce on the visionary, ever ready to scorn, “advise”, and if need be mock. They are excellent in pointing out shortcomings such as your too old, too young, too skinny, too fat, you’ve got a reputation, or you don’t have a reputation. In the name of helping they remind you constantly that others have tried the exact same thing and failed, that it’s not the right time, right location, or the right idea. They open their mouths and a sewage of can’t, won’t, and not possible flows from it.

Much like the people in the audience with Susan Boyle. They laughed, they scorned, they mocked her, and they judged her based on nothing but her appearance. But when she began to sing, no one is laughing now. She amazed the judges and the audience. She quite literally blows them away. Here is the amazing part, Susan did not win the competition. She came in second to a dance group called Diversity.  So where they right? Was the fact she didn’t look like a “star” the final arbitrator of her story? Not even close her first album “I Dreamed Dream” was the most pre-ordered album worldwide on Amazaon.com before its worldwide release. The album went on to sell almost 9 million copies worldwide , selling over 700,000 albums during the first week. She has since released two more albums “The Gift” and “Someone to Watch Over Me,”  she has been nominated for two Grammy Awards, and probably the most exciting thing for her she has meet and sang with her idol Elaine Page.

What does this have to do with photography? Everything. Photography is life. After all that’s what we photograph. We takes pictures of people, places, events, and things. No matter if its for personal or commercial use photography is capturing life, the people, places, and things that make up what we do and sometimes who we are. Each of us face nay sayers telling us we can’t, there’s too many people with cameras, the market is flooded, you don’t bring anything unique, your too old, too young, you live in the wrong area, you don’t use zoom lenses, you don’t use prime lenses, you don’t use off camera hot-shoe flash, you do use off camera hot-shoe flash. Everyday all of us are told why it can’t work, and its not just photographers, its artist, writers, business owners, students, house wives, teachers, pastors, entrepreneurs, politicians, civic leaders, dreamers, and sadly even children. Each one told you can’t, it won’t work because of this or that.

It seems as if the nay-sayers are in control and that the world only turns based on their negative and gloom outlook. Yet I can’t help to think of what He said:

“For I know the plans I have you, says the Lord, not small or insignificant plans, but great and mighty plans. Not plans to harm you, leave you or abandoned you, but plans to prosper you and bless you, to keep you close to me and to stay beside you watching over you all the way to the very end.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Next to this verse I have written something my pastor said years ago, “What man thinks of you is opinion, what God thinks is a destiny.”  Your life has purpose despite what the nay-sayers want you to believe. So like Susan Boyle ignore the sneers, the critics, and the judges and just sing.

Till later stay focused, stay blessed…