Fair play. That takes work
I looked at this man and thought: fair play. That takes work.
I admired his physique. There’s no complicated photographic explanation behind it. He’d clearly put time and effort into developing his body, and I respected that.
It’s easy to appreciate the result without giving much thought to what it asks of someone. Wanting to get stronger is one thing. Returning to the work often enough for it to show is a considerably bigger commitment. Somewhere along the way, the novelty wears off. You’re still left with the doing.
That’s what caught my attention here. The dedication.
There’s something encouraging about seeing another person’s effort become visible. It makes improvement feel a little more real. We hear so much about changing things that the whole subject can start to feel like another thing to read about. Then somebody walks past who reminds you that you can actually put time into something and get somewhere with it.
I find that a useful nudge.
I can be very interested in an idea before doing anything about it. There’s research to be done, naturally. A few things to consider. Possibly something to buy. You can become surprisingly well informed while remaining exactly where you started.
At some point, you have to give the thing a proper go.
With photography, that means taking the camera out, making pictures and paying attention to what comes back. Some days you can see something developing. Other days you’re less convinced. The temptation is to wait until you feel inspired again, though that can leave the camera sitting there for quite a while.
I admire the willingness to continue through the less exciting part. To give something enough time that a disappointing day doesn’t get the final say.
Looking at this photograph, I feel more encouraged than intimidated. His goal doesn’t have to be mine for the effort to mean something to me. I can appreciate what he’s achieved and ask myself what I’d like to give that sort of attention to.
It might be fitness. It might be making better photographs, learning something or finishing a project that’s become part of the furniture. Most of us have something we’d be pleased to see moving again.
And there’s a genuine pleasure in making a start. You’ve spent all that time thinking about doing it, and now there’s finally something to work with. It may be small, but it happened.
That’s the feeling I take from this picture. Admiration, followed by a bit of energy I’d rather use than spend too long explaining.
There are a few things I could get on with. I probably don’t need to watch another video about them first.