Qi (pronounced “chee”) is a funny little word that has great
value in life.  Having a mental
understanding of qi is one thing, but having a deeper understanding can truly
impact your photographic abilities if applied appropriately.  Qi also holds great value on a Scrabble board
so if nothing else I have given you some useful advice on game day.

 

What is qi?  In Chinese
philosophy there two types of qi – Living Qi and Killing Qi.  The Chinese believe that everything has an equal
opposite, and this keeps things in balance.  For every yin there is a yang.  Think of it in terms of a magnet.  Every permanent magnet has both a positive and
a negative side or opposing poles.  Where
there is a north pole there must be a south pole.  If a magnet has a North Pole side and a South
Pole side what happens if you slice the magnet in half?  Do you get one half that is a North Pole
magnet and one South?  No.  You now have two magnets with both north and
south poles.

 

The Chinese described a place with a lot of Living Qi would be a place
with a much fauna and a place void of life has a great deal of Killing Qi.

 

As a photographer you have your own individual photographic qi.  There is a natural area that you are drawn to
shooting where your truest and purest of talents can grow.  It may be glamour, fashion, nature, athletics,
or absolutely anything.  It is not just
what may be initially fun.  Look deeper.  Somewhere inside there is a particular area
within you where an almost spiritual sense of rightness lies when you are shooting.  The true measure is not the question “Is
this the most fun to shoot?”  The
truest judge is the question “Is this where the purest creative energy in me
flows?”

 

The reality is that making a living has very little to do with qi many
times. I am often referred to as a glamour photographer because of success with
so many swimwear catalogs or calendars or with my images of Brittany Lee and
Maxim.  Shooting glamour is fine with me,
but standing in Joshua Tree National Park I know I am where everything in me
belongs. When I am there I experience some kind of “rightness” with
things.  It is as impossible to explain
as the color orange is to a person blind since birth.  It is where the creative center of me resides.

 

I shoot glamour well.  I enjoy
fashion and beauty images even more.  Shooting
“pretty” has always been something I have found pleasure in and I
have been able to make a good living doing it.  Photographing models in dresses and gowns in
beautiful locations or any shots showing a clean beauty make me happy. Still there
is an intangible something triggered inside when I am in Joshua Tree National
Park or in some areas of Death Valley.  It
is where my qi truly lies.  My creative
waters run deepest in that dry and desolate environment.  For me the colors are more vivid there and the
smells and sounds pull me like a magnet.

 

Where does your qi lie?  If you
don’t know then I suggest that you take a journey within you to find it. Clear
the daily clutter in your mind when possible and explore different areas of
photography and challenge yourself to stop thinking and start feeling something
deep inside while you shoot.

 

I believe that since everything has an opposite to create balance
within every photographer there must also be a killing qi.  There is something that sucks the creative
life from you and leaves you spiritually and creatively desolate. There is a
certain something photographically that destroys that positive energy you find
in your creative center and has a devastating effect. Something inside you seemingly
dies when you shoot this.  Avoiding that
is as important as experiencing your own Living Qi.

 

Many glamour and fashion shooters get confused that the feeling they
may be feeling in their trousers is some sort of spiritual tickle saying “This
is where your qi lies.”  Perhaps
glamour or fashion are your purest life calling. In that case it won’t be your
blue jeans that are tugging at you to keep shooting.

 

Life is full of noise, both audible and visual. This static can kill
that little voice inside. That voice does not necessarily loudly call to you.  It may not be screaming at you that you simply
must shoot what ever it is. It is simply there in the moment. You will be able
to feel that energy.

 

It is a rewarding thing to find your creative center.  Qi is as wonderful in life as well as on a
Scrabble board.

Are You a Thermostat or a Thermometer

Are you a thermostat or a thermometer?

These two objects may seem to be very closely related, but they so radically different in their function. It is important to understand that you are one of the two. Everyone is.

The function of a thermometer is to gauge the temperature in a room. As the temperature goes up or down the thermometer reflects that. It accurately displays the atmosphere around it.

A thermostat sets the temperature in a room. This is the device that sets the atmosphere.

Which are you?

As a photographer you will run into all kinds of situations where melodrama and emotion can run rampant and destroy the shoot environment. The question is whether or not your actions and mindset reflect the chaos or control it. Do you set the tone or are you an accurate gauge of it?

Being a thermostat has its responsibilities. You may be the actual cause of the chaos. If you are melodramatic or unprofessional you can drag the thermometers along with you. They will reflect the mood that you set. When things get crazy ask yourself why. Are you the cause or the solution? Are you a part of the chaos or a part of setting a new and more productive tone?

During one of the TV series that I produced one of the cast members was causing all kinds of trouble from the start. She was always ready to bring new drama and trouble to the set. She constantly complained about small problems that she could easily overcome and manage. On one occasion she showed up in the makeup room and the makeup artists were running a little behind. She turned a minor issue into an explosion. All she needed to do was wait a few minutes for her turn. Instead he turn her minor inconvenience into a mess where she was more interested in placing blame and exposing the fact that things were running a little behind than working things out. She was setting the tone. She was being a thermostat. She was making the atmosphere too hot. A few others immediately jumped into the fray and reflected the temperature in the room until someone stepped in and cooled the situation down.
There are four possibilities with the option of being a thermostat or thermometer – two as a thermostat and two more options as a thermometer.

Thermometer
• Reflect a negative atmosphere
• Reflect a positive atmosphere

Thermostat
• Set a negative atmosphere
• Set a positive atmosphere

It is a fantastic thing to be a thermometer in a positive atmosphere. As you reflect that positivity the room temperature stays positive. You have no effect on the room, but you are a part of the positive environment. Being a thermometer in a positive atmosphere is not a bad thing at all. The negative flip side is pretty obvious.

Thermostats set the tone. It is fine to not always be actively setting the temperature though. When the temperature is right a thermostat does nothing. If the environment starts to change it kicks on and regulates the environment. It is there waiting to kick into action when needed.

An honest self assessment may not be comfortable. Think about the environment where you spend most of your time operating. Is it full of drama? Is it chaotic? If so then you are not setting a better tone. So many times I hear people that say “I hate drama, but it surrounds me.” Does it really? What is the single constant in all of those situations? You. It is somewhat funny how people will melodramatically express that they hate drama or angrily speak of a negative relationship. Set the tone.

What if you have two thermostats in one room? If they do not work together they will battle each other until they wear out and break. What happens to a broken thermostat? It is replaced. It is best to try to work in conjunction with other leaders in a situation. Try cooperating and if that won’t work understand that the situation may be beyond control. If you try to control an uncontrollable environment you will wear yourself out for no gain. It is best to remove yourself from some situations all together.

Keep in mind that “it’s not my fault” and “it was out of my control” are the battle cries of the melodramatic. If those words are exiting your lips often you are not a thermostat. You are a thermometer.

As a photographer it is your job to control your set. It is your responsibility to keep things under control on your set. If you aren’t the thermostat you are at the mercies of too many outside influences. Those on your shoot need to understand that you are ultimately responsible for a successful outcome. Set the tone before the day of the shoot. Let everyone know what the temperature will be in the room and that you won’t be working in an environment that isn’t positive. You won’t regret it. Set a positive but professional tone and your final images will reflect the environment that you set.