Stories are in the eye of the beholder
This is a post I saw on LinkedIn yesterday which made me think about what it means to be a leader (of a family, of a company, etc.).
And this has EVERYTHING to do with photography. I have copied/pasted the text so that you would have the full experience.
Here it is...
So, a little food for thought on how the leader of the wolf pack behaves:
The three in front are old & sick, they walk in front to set the pace of the running group lest they get left behind.
The next five are the strongest & best, they are tasked to protect the front side if there is an attack.
The pack in the middle are always protected from any attack.
The five behind them are also among the strongest & best; they are tasked to protect the back side if there is an attack.
The last one is the LEADER. He ensures that no one is left behind. He keeps the pack unified and on the same path. He is always ready to run in any direction to protect & serves as the 'bodyguard' to the entire group.
Just in case anyone wanted to know what it really means to be a leader. It's not about being out front. It means taking care of the team.
...
How does this relate to what I do? Well, I mentioned this story to a client of mine who coaches leadership and he tells me: "oh yeah, I 've seen this thing going around the internet recently... it's completely false. It's just a pack of wolves walking in a line."
It hit me hard. I was very disappointed. I had fallen like a newbie for the latest internet meme, be it posted by a reputable name on LinkedIn.
In my mind, this story had everything. It was visual, it was compelling and I bought it because I wanted to believe in it. This story was what I believed in. It was romantic, counter intuitive, grand and raw. The picture without the words lessens the value of the photograph in my opinion. A picture that has nothing to say about itself is bland. But I bet you that this photo has at least 5 different stories it can tell.
Photography IS visual storytelling and just like beauty, stories take their meaning in the eye of the beholder. It took from my thoughts and infused meaning onto a frame. That's why my photos are very important to me. They are ME. I pour my thoughts and my SELF into creating them and I want them to have meaning for me and for others... lots of it.
