The Way It Was (Nostalgia)

This really has little to do with my photography work. It can kind of relate to the weddings I shoot, though.

I write and shoot for theFIVE10.com (a music webzine). After observing new albums myself, analyzing comments left by our readers, and even listening to my parents talk about stuff, I've come to the revelation that people don't like change. They say they do, so they vote for Obama or something. But really, no one likes unfamiliar territory. That's why the phrase "out of your comfort zone" is so prevalent.

It's a challenge for people to explore new things.

I see it in weddings: same songs for the reception, same decor, same organization of the day...

I see it in music: same beats, same chord progressions, same look, same "sound"...

My honest assessment is that most people are followers, not leaders. Look at the cell phone market. Everyone loves to trash Apple over what "the new iPhone lacks", yet they fail to recognize that NO company had an all-touch screen phone until Apple made one. Now it's simply the benchmark, and how cell phones are designed. Followers.

It's apparent that people don't like to stray from the format. They don't like change... unless everyone else is adopting it, so they feel like they fit in.

I'm guilty of many of the same feelings, and I struggle to adapt sometimes as well. I feel like current society has no sense of respect, or work ethic, or manners, or writing skills (as I post this, I just saw an article saying that reading/writing SAT scores are the lowest they've been since 1972). So even when it's cool to say something like "u r awesome" in a text message, I immediately gripe and assume those people have no language skills.

Not all change is good, obviously. But try to embrace it, and try to make it work for you. Your favorite band did an album that doesn't sound like they did 10 years ago? Try to see it for the style it is now. You're taking all of your wedding planning cues from what has been done by everyone else for 30+ years? Try creating your own way of getting married.

Hell, try creating your own way of living! (as long as you don't hurt people, that is).

A real-life example is, well, me. I saw life and career as the way my dad did it. The "practical" route, so to speak. So I went to college, got a BA in Economics, and started going after finance-related jobs. Eventually it started to kill me, because it didn't work for me. I've always been creative, so I found a new way to make a living. And now I'm the reason you have wedding photos.

For most things, there are no rules. You can explore new ideas. No one is stopping you, so do it! You might be surprised.

This has been a public service announcement from Lancaster Photography.

:)