I’d led my touring group in Reykjavik, Iceland to visit the city’s renowned cathedral – home to one the world’s largest organs. As I walked from the vestbule and neared the pew closest to the altar, an old man entered and sat in front of the organ keys. He sat still for a long while, then quickly cracked all ten of his fingers. Slowly, he rested his fingers on the organ keys and began playing. It amazed me how fast and effortlessly this venerated and respected organ master’s fingers moved – how perfectly he flowed through the song.
As I sat there, his music and talent brought me to a state of catharsis. The organist’s vivid mastery of his craft inspired me to look inward and strive for that sort of excellence and beauty in my own passion: photography. I take pictures of everything and everyone everywhere I go. Dark and gothic themes initially attracted me, but my artistic style has since evolved and continues to do so. When I started driving, I became obsessed with automotive photography. Over time, I discovered landscape and urban photography – I would try to capture the beauty of scenes as a whole, rather than focusing on a singular subject. I often find this style of photography more rewarding because it has a greater potential to evoke emotion in the viewer.
Walking out of the church, I wondered how someone could have such a profound effect on others. Invigorated by the organist’s passion and skill, I immediately started to hone my own. I spent a couple of hours taking countless pictures of the church, examining its cylindrical shape and curved side wings. Once I got the perfect angle and distance to show its true beauty and excellence, I headed back to join my group.
That night, I spent hours combing through my best photos. Eventually, I settled on a shot I could work with. I felt this one, in particular, conveyed the grandeur of the structure better than any of the others. Then, I painstakingly edited every person out of the frame until the front of the church stood alone. I tweaked the lighting, the sky, removed obstructions, enhanced the cross at the top and added a subtle blur. My final product – dark and gloomy – symbolized the angsty, powerful chords I’d heard inside the church. More importantly, it reflected my drive to perfect my passions. I’d never spent that much time on a photograph before; it was well worth it. That organist showed me what true mastery was and inspired me to strive for that kind of excellence in whatever I do. I believed this was my best work. Even though it wasn’t for a school project or a competition or even for anyone in particular, it gave me a chance to document a profound moment in my life.
As I reflect on this moment, I am proud of how far I have come and how much I’ve refined my talent. Now, I am able to consistently document moments and physically portray how they felt to me when I experienced them. I still work to strengthen this skill, but I revel in how much closer I’ve brought myself to what I saw in the organist. I hope to elicit emotion in those who view my photos. I want them to have the same feelings the organist inspired in me – a sense of awe and feeling of incomprehensibility as to how someone performs or, in my case, creates. This musician invigorated my wish to master my craft – for this moment in photography, but ultimately, in whatever my passion lends itself to in my life.