Planning. Why I suck at it.

I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to planning out my life with a goal of being successful, I often drop the ball.  Taking the time to look to the future, and make the necessary steps to make sure I reach some lofty goal is definitely not my strong suite.

I did however get through college just fine. In fact, I graduated with Honours grades. No mean feat considering that 100 people started and less than 30 graduated. Moreover, the last semester for me started on crutches as I broke my ankle the first day back after spring break. There were two of us cripples in the same class, both with purple casts. We hobbled around the campus, doing our best to carry our huge camera equipment. But I digress.

Planning out a strategy has never been my strong suit, unless it had something to do with cycling or photography. Back in the '80s and '90s I was heavily into long distance cycling. Usually between Toronto and Woodstock, or landmarks beyond. Everything was fine for the most part, except for that one time that I teamed up with a workmate for one adventure. He just had to utter those interminable words: "I sure hope I don't get a flat". That S.O.B ! Wouldn't you know it. That would be the one and only time that a mechanical difficulty ruined the entire adventure, and not in a good way.

Fast forward to the past 10 years or so, and I'm more a photographer than a cyclist. As such, I take great pride in my ability to envision what I need to achieve, and just know how I'm going to get there. Looking at a product from an artists perspective, or rather from a prospective buyer's perspective, gives me the ability to generate the final results in my head in no time flat.  From there, I know that I need to work out the mechanics of photographing the product with a minimal of effort and time expenditure. Planning. Sometimes I put it to use and sometimes I just suck at it. There. I said it. 

Oh, by the way, I started a Youtube channel where I post short vids that get to the point regarding techniques I use in photography and retouching. My goal is to make videos that are helpful to a small group of photographers who can do without all the big production videos. People who just like to get to the point. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@MikeTaylorPhotoArts