Tuesdays with Nate | A Word on Trust
In the name of killing two birds with one stone, today’s post is not only very efficient, but also very personal. One of the the best “take home” lessons from our recent week in Vegas was from Elizabeth Messina, who encouraged photographers to stay busy and push themselves creatively by taking on personal projects (bird 1). When I was thinking of what kind of projects would inspire and push me, I could think of no better muse than my very own fiance’. I thought for a long time about what I could show her through my lens, how I could tell her what I feel about her and convey what I hope she sees in me. What I came up with, at least for my first project, was trust (bird 2).
Conveying a conceptual idea through pictures is easier said than done. Step one was to define it, step two was to find it. I sat for a while and thought about what trust meant to ME.
1) Trust doesn’t mean you don’t still worry, or at least use common sense
2) Trust is earned through time and trials, and even then it is only given after careful consideration
3) Real trust is consistent, but not perfect, because we are imperfect people
Hopefully the rest speaks for itself…
We trust in basic principles, like "if you water the grass, it will grow"
We trust that signs are there for a reason, and that there will be consequences if we ignore them. Some are easier to see than others.
We put up barriers to keep out those that we don't trust. Locks, passcodes, fences, sometimes just distance or silence.
We trust that what everyone else is doing may not be the best way, and that sometimes it's better to trust yourself.
We trust in things that have weathered the storm and survived, even if they aren't the prettiest, fastest, or coolest.
We believe that all roads lead back home, and trust that the people we love are still there waiting for us.
We trust our lives in the hands of others far too often.
We trust that the people we love will always be around forever, but deep down we know it's not true.
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This is such an amazing post Nate. For one moment I stopped looking for “pretty things” and forced myself to pause and read your post.
I love the way the images you have chosen prompt your lessons in a way that really cuts to the true meaning. It is so thoughtful, and true, and real.
Thanks for your honesty.
GOOD post! I like the personal project!
Nate, If you haven’t seen this video I encourage you to rent it. It came out some time ago but I found it captivatingly, hauntingly, beautiful in retrospect. It stars Geeorge Clooney as the lead and deals with the subject of trust in an eye opening,deepest dreamlike way (Thru sci-fi). It is called Solaris! Good flic! Time is fleeting when we can choose to draw closer or pull away.
That last picture with the side-by-side shot of older people on the sign and the couple walking is so sweet. What a great Tuesday post!
So sweet! Like building a poem out of pictures.
Also… is that a swan swim-by window feeder?!
Great post Nate!!!
Great post, I especially love the brick road! =)