The Renaissance Man’s Revival: Why I Chose the Lens and the Labor
Photography and landscaping may seem like opposites, but for me, they serve the same soul.
When I was younger, nobody in my family was a big “picture taker”, and because of that, there are parts of my life I can never share with my wife or kids; they’re just moments in my mind.
I have lived a lot, but I have little of that to show, and sometimes it’s something I am grateful for, as I don’t want everything out there in the open…
But other times, I wish I had some photos of me playing football to show my kids, or more of me with the guys in the Navy, and it’s not like you can go back and “re-do it”, those moments are gone, forever.
Maybe that’s why I picked up a camera in the first place; it wasn’t for me to be seen, but rather to make sure others were.
Photography Came Naturally to Me
I didn’t study it, I just understood it; as I sharpened my eye through reps behind the camera, I realized that what I was doing wasn’t just taking pictures, I was freezing time.
With a camera, I capture moments that will never exist the same way again, and I can display them forever…
But art isn’t all that I am drawn to, I need the Earth as well;
As freedom seeking as my spirit is, so too is my body craving physical challenges. I love sitting and editing a photo, I also love working in the sun or rain, covered in dirt, wondering how much more I have to give…
That’s the Renaissance part; this quote from Google’s AI, describes the duality existing within many men, a juxtaposition of brute primal urges alongside a spiritual artistic connection to everything in the world.
A "Renaissance man" is a term used to describe someone who is knowledgeable, educated, and proficient in many different fields. It originated during the Renaissance period in Europe, which saw a flourishing of art, science, and intellectual pursuits. The ideal Renaissance man was not just skilled in one area, but excelled in a wide variety of disciplines, embodying a spirit of intellectual curiosity and versatility.
I am a man and need the pride and satisfaction that comes from hard and honest work.
There’s a certain feeling that can only be found when you feel the breeze, sweat under the sun, or labor for hours bending the Earth to your will…
That’s where landscaping comes in.
No filters, no flash, just dirt, stone, sweat, and work.
Landscaping is honest; it doesn’t care about your excuses, it’s hard, and it’s humbling.
It also brings pride unlike anything else.
People might look at photography and landscaping like they’re worlds apart:
One’s digital, the other’s physical.
One’s delicate, the other’s rugged.
But to me, they’re twins as both demand focus and light, strength and precision, vision and patience.
And both, when done right, leave behind something beautiful.
Whether I get behind the lens or jump into the trench, I’m there to create something.
One moment at a time, one job at a time.
It’s not about choosing between the artist, or the workhorse.
I’m both; I have to be both…
“That’s what it means to be a man today,
To build with your hands and capture with your heart; to be fully present in this world while leaving a mark and shining a light that other people can carry forward…
That is the path of the renaissance man…”
- Zac Small
I’m walking it, camera in one calloused hand, and a shovel in the other.
- Zac Small