The Importance of Setting Goals


The above photo is one created with the idea of setting a goal. In years past, we used to drive past this one farm where the only thing that existed on the top of the ridge in the middle of the field was this lone tree. Some local friends of ours had dubbed it "one tree hill".  I had always wanted to capture the feeling and memory of that tree in the field and so, with patience and planning I set a goal to do it. The requirements were simple, have some good weather, have my camera ready, and have my wife drive slowly past it on our next trip in that direction. Shortly after I took this photo, we had a crazy thunderstorm and the tree was hit by lighting. Now, all that remains is a stump. This photo can never be taken again. Not only that, but had I not taken it, I would never be able to recall what I saw and how it moved me.

Aside from the nostalgia, setting a goal helped me with researching how to photograph from moving vehicles, taught me patience with weather and timing, and challenged me to pre-visualize my shot. These are things that only experience can teach, and all were learned in setting a goal.

I have a new goal now: I want a photo of the city of Harrisburg's skyline from the west shore, at night, with a reflection of it in the susquehanna river below. Right now that river is filled with snow and ice and it's often single digit temperatures at night. I have much research to do, much patience to be had, and along the way I expect that I will be learning a few things in trying to reach this goal. I look forward to all of that because I know that my goal will keep me learning.


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