I celebrated my 64th birthday last week and of course it got me thinking about a scene in in the great American movie Risky Business.

Miles: Sometimes you gotta say “WTF” (this is a family website!), make your move. Joel, every now and then, saying “WTF”, brings freedom. Freedom brings opportunity, opportunity makes your future. So your parents are going out of town. You got the place all to yourself.

Joel Goodson: Yeah.

Miles: WTF.

Last time out I discussed my Two Hour plan and how I now felt much looser, less pressured, and more liberated.  I thought that others could benefit from the concept as well. What do you need to do in order to become fully liberated? I think Miles’ philosophy is sound and worthy of being followed, at least when it comes to photography. Think about it … we are always being told what galleries want, what the competition judges are looking for, that bigger is better, what camera to use, what format is best, what film to use, what developer, what paper to print on.

I am now at the point where I could care less about what the vast majority of people have to say.  I have had my WTF moment, and yes, it is bringing me freedom, which in turn will bring opportunity. Why? Because I feel completely unfettered to do whatever I want, whenever I want, and in a way I want to do it. The world is my oyster and with my Two Hourplan, it’s never far away!

This mindset isn’t a license to become lazy or to stop learning. It’s not a replacement for getting out and making photographs and then doing the very best you can in the darkroom to recreate your vision. Far from it! It is living yourphotographic life on yourcreative terms to produce what is truly important to youin a way that works for you. What a novel concept … doing your work unencumbered by what others think. WTF!