Rules of Photography

The first: I photograph twelve times a season. Twelve sessions each in winter, spring, summer, and fall.

The second: I don’t burden myself with outcomes. It’s a mindset I’ve adapted from the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna tells the warrior Arjuna that he has a right to his labor, but never to its fruits.

The third: When fog is present, I take photos. Smoke in the air? Photos. Fog obscures the background, turning an otherwise messy scene into something clean and simple. Smoke works well, too, especially in black and white. And unlike fog, which usually burns off by midmorning, smoke can linger all day, even under a persistent sun. My percentage of winners rises in either condition.

The fourth: I return to the same place, again and again. When I find a composition with potential, I visit in the morning, at midday, in the evening, and across seasons. I’ve returned to some places twenty times, hoping to make a better photograph.

I had photographed this scene many times. The juniper was my marker. The morning fog forced me out of bed, and I knew exactly where I was going.