Category Archives: Getting Things Done

Get the Little Things Out of the Way

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Most of us photographers like to spend time behind the camera. After all, we are photographers so this is our rightful place, isn’t it?

The problem is there are so many other details and little things that can distract us and prevent us from spending time behind the camera. Think about going on vacation for example. Just to get away there are a ton of things that must be done. Our to do list grows to enormous size and we have a lot of details to wrap up before can leave.

Even preparing for a photography-specific vacation requires paying attention to a lot of mundane details: did you charge your batteries? Did you pack enough spare flash cards? What lenses are you going to bring? Do you have cleaning supplies packed? How will you backup in the field? Do you know exactly where you are going? Do you have enough money for everything? Did you put on clean underwear? (Opps, that was bad!)

But in all seriousness all these little details can get in our way. So sit down, make a list, and begin checking these items off. The sooner you take care of the little things the sooner you can focus your camera!

There has to be a Better Way

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For quite a while I would turn on my laptop, connect an external hard drive, and download photos from card reader all while I sat in my recliner in our living room. This was not a very efficient process, but it was the option I choose. Why do we sometimes get stuck in a rut and stay there so long?

Ever since we moved into our new house 7 1/2 years ago, I never set up my computer desk to use properly. Instead, it just served as a table to collect junk. This was not a very efficient process either.

When we were on vacation last week, I could not get the wireless internet connection to work with my laptop. The wired connection worked fine, which forced me to keep my laptop on the hotel room desk. This worked out surprisingly well for me. When I sat in the chair or sofa, I was reading my book or watching TV instead of spending time on my laptop. Throughout the week I really began to enjoy this differentiation between “work” and “relaxation.”

So I decided to make a few changes at home.

I decided to clean up our computer room, clear off my computer desk, reposition it to be more efficient, and start using it. I am still in this process but there is light at the end of the tunnel and I am becoming much more efficient. My laptop is now on the desk in front of my two external hard drives. Connecting them is quick and easy. I also am continuing to clean up the room so that everything has a proper place, which helps me be more efficient. I still have a few piles yet to process and then I have to work on the bookcases and the filing cabinet, but as I said, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel.

I knew there had to be a better way and I think I am finding it!