Be Aware Of The Ordinary
The title and quotations of this story came from a book about photography, “It’s Not About the F-Stop”, written by one of my teachers, Jay Maisel. The F-stop is the function of the camera that controls the amount of light that comes through the lens. In the book, he quotes a Tibetan proverb, “Objects are there for you only if you see them.” And then he continues with the quote by photographer Barbara Bordnick, “We walk by wonders every day and don’t see them. We only stop at what shouts the loudest.”
The Pilgrims were puritans and followed strict rules. However it turned out, the reasons for the fast were not exactly religious. Ken Albala continues:
“The original logic (to abstain from meat, eggs and dairy products) was purely medical — these were considered the most nutritious foods available, which would generate a plethora of blood and sperm (in both men and women), which would in turn stimulate the libido and lead to sin. Only humorally cold and moist vegetables, salads and fish were suitable foods to restrain lust.” So what shall we do now that we know the truth?
I participated in Jay Maisel’s workshop many years ago. Since then, I’ve purchased many of his photography books. The latest one, I’ve been reading a page a day, after I meditate. In this experience, I realized that the qualities of being a good mortgage broker and a good photographer are actually very similar. And I think the number one quality is being present. Every time I meet with and try to help a new or a repeat client, first I have to fully understand their circumstances, concerns, limitations, desires, and only then think about the possible solutions. To paraphrase Jay Maisel, “It is not about the interest rate”. Being a good photographer is more challenging – there are so many components to consider to get satisfying results. And even then, how can I know if the result is a good image? This is why I immerse myself into looking at the work of other photographers and art in general, to train myself to sense, rather than just see what a good image is. However a true professional cannot do things alone. I remember that at the beginning of a workshop, Joe asked us how we know that we have a good image. My response was that I know it’s good when my wife likes it. When I work on the final touches and cropping the images, Elfa’s suggestions help me a great deal.
Not surprisingly, the same goes with mortgages. Regardless of which solution or lender I find for each client, it is my underwriters, Mila and Sarah, who make the final cut. But the question still remains, how does one notice and recognize the right opportunity, the right light, the right place, the right subject or the right lender? I think that thorough preparation and a lot of practice helps to recognize the beauty in ordinary things and the small details that make or break a mortgage. There is a Russian saying, “Na lovtsa i zver’ bezhit”, which translates to, “Prey runs into the hunter”. But first, the person needs to know what it takes to be a hunter, a photographer or a mortgage professional. Then one needs to be in the place where one can meet the prey (the solution). I learned this from another photography teacher, Sam Abell: “First you choose the background and wait for the subject to appear in front of the camera.” After a while, what seems like an ordinary thing, is suddenly illuminated and miraculously transformed, or a lender “appears” with the program that the client is waiting for. The rest is simple – you just need to capture the moment.
P.S. In choosing the images for this story, I decided to show you some ordinary objects, perhaps in a way you may not have noticed before.
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