Well said

I am an enormous John Mayer fan. If you know me, then this is not groundbreaking news. He occupies about 8 of the 10 CD spots allotted in my car and is my lone bumper sticker. I remember hearing him for the very first time. I was in the car with Kent, both of us listening to an acoustic version of 'Your Body is a Wonderland'. I also remember typing his name into my freshman year computer as "John Mayor" searching for any other acoustic versions that I could find.

While sifting through his blog, I found an entry that not so shockingly caught my attention. Here's what the entry titled "Photography" says:

Q: Over the years, we've seen pieces of your photography work. Will we ever see a more in depth exploration of photography? Possible a book or site dedicated wholly to your images? -- asked by samslens

A: I was thinking about this on the plane to New Zealand. I'd like to be hired to shoot someone for a magazine photo spread. No assistants, no lighting, just me, the subject and a couple of cameras. I love the William Claxton/Barry Feinstein black and white thing. I think photography has gotten to such an equalized place in terms of image quality that it's really all about who you got doing what, not that you got a well exposed and composed image of it. (Although it helps.)

His answer is so refreshing and challenging for me.

Refreshing because: At the end of the day (a phrase I loathe), it's all about what that photographer is gonna bring to the table. Though, I'm not 100% with him when it comes to proper exposure and composition, I get what he's saying. I do believe a photographer should understand the inter-workings of a camera and how to use it to their advantage.

Challenging because: I should be pushing myself with my equipment resources no matter how expensive or inexpensive they may be. Be content. Create no matter what. This can pose a challenge because of the constant push for faster glass, the bigger, better camera. Getting back to basics is a creative goal. I'm not there, but will continue to strive for it.

Kent asked me yesterday if I could photograph anyone in the world who would it be. I got "John Ma" out of my mouth, and he said, "Besides John Mayer". I'd always imagined asking him if I could take his picture before asking for an autograph or anything. But, in terms of just a subject and just me with my camera, I came up with a 2nd answer. I would've loved the opportunity to photograph both of my grandfathers.

*Written while listening to Tracing