Capturing Moments in Lens and Pens

Two of my favorite creative practices are taking pictures on my nature walks and ghostwriting meaningful books for my clients. I will happily participate in these two activities for years, improving my skills as I grow and learn. They have three common considerations: framework, perspective, and storytelling. 

Framework

Since COVID, I have tried walking daily and taking pictures at nearby locations. These include nature paths in my complex, beaches, forest preserves, and lakes. I started posting these captures on Facebook and Instagram daily. A handful of people in my sphere appreciate the daily effort. I belong to a few iPhone photography groups and admire the nature captured by talented, like-minded people. 

I love the word capture to describe this activity. I see something beautiful, whether a sunrise, sunset, a blooming or bare tree, fall colors, reflections, animals in their habitat, or walking paths, sometimes with a bench to sit on. I do not create this beauty. That is the purview of nature and nature's creator. I point my camera at the scene, remain aware of the lighting, and click. I use my eye to frame it so that the result will appeal to those I share it with. I can take up to fifty shots of the exact location and choose the one that best captures the moment. 

When I ghostwrite for my clients, I am also aware of framing. The finished product or book is not my story; it is theirs. I am contracted to find joy, pathos, or inspiration in telling my client's stories. We usually gather much raw material through our interview and outlining processes. I use that material to frame my clients' stories. The goal is to present a focused, concise tale with few extraneous elements that will cause the reader to be distracted. Granted, the work is more intense in framing a book than a picture. The idea is the same. Capture someone else's creation in a way that captivates the audience and offers some value.  

Perspective 

Perspective is another aspect of similarity between capturing pictures and ghostwriting books. When I take pictures, they are my observations rather than artificially generated. Both depend on human insight and emotional connection. The human connection is valued on a personal level by the audience. As a ghostwriter and photographer, a deep understanding of the subject or subject matter is essential. 

A sense of lighting, angles, depth of the field, and focus are crucial elements in photography. When I take pictures, my perspective on these elements within the capture enhances the quality of the picture. In ghostwriting, I must immerse myself in my clients' stories. If successful, I capture the author's voice, tell their story, and keep in mind the perspective of their ideal reader. 

In photography and ghostwriting, there is a certain level of invisibility, even though my perspective drives each product forward. The goal is to capture the picture without the intrusion of my presence. The client's voice shines through in ghostwriting by creating an authentic final product. It's an elegant and fine-tuned process in both cases. The skill required is complex, skilled, and intuitive and requires experience. As a photographer and a ghostwriter, I aim to be invisible and balance that with the skill of creating a picture or a book. 

Storytelling

Despite the differences in each endeavor, storytelling is an essential element in ghostwriting and photography. For both, there is a focus on capturing moments that tell a story. In a picture, a woman might be looking out over a horizon at sunrise or sunset. A sunbeam may illuminate the figure. That tells a story, and the observer of the picture can imagine it in numerous ways. As the photographer, I want to capture that moment so someone may wonder if this woman is alone, if she is happy or sad, if this is a good day for her if she finds someone or loses someone, and if she is at peace or crying. It evokes a story in the eye of the observer.

Similarly, a ghostwriter will capture descriptive moments strung together in a narrative to build a compelling story. 

Each creative practice elicits the emotions of the audience. In photography, it could be a mood or the scene's atmosphere. Ghostwriting uses words to convey emotions. Both practices involve a nuanced understanding of how to tell a story and evoke feelings in the audience. Both also benefit from a well-structured narrative. The narrative could be a single image or a series of images that flow from and relate to one another in photography. For a book, the narrative is a series of descriptive scenes that flow to tell a story. Both rely on pacing to keep the audience captivated from the narrative's beginning to end. 

I love working in photography and being a ghostwriter. I enjoy that each informs the other. Something enthralling is out there, and it is my joy to frame it, provide perspective, and tell the story.