Finding balance

@corynn.h

Enter when pulled; turn when pushed. This is how the great judo player Kyuzo Mifune summed up the essence of his art. If that advice was limited to judo contests it would be a tragedy.

Balance is the cornerstone of resilience in life. In judo, every throw requires that you break the balance or the posture of your opponent before executing a technique. So judo — the way of suppleness — is ultimately about maintaining that balance. I was reminded of this when I got an email this morning announcing that a family emergency would keep the great Joe McNally from attending a dance photography conference this week in Austin, Texas. I was scheduled to have Joe review my portfolio. He is a master of his craft and I have been looking forward to this for months. Of course, I hope that his family emergency resolves positively. My personal disappointment is nothing compared to whatever he and his family must be going through.

Now what? I will breathe deep and move on. The Pas de Deux photography conference is packed full of opportunities with great photographers. I will make good use of my time there, come what may.

Prof. Tom Hill throws Robert Kaufer with uki otoshi (floating drop).

Photography happens at the speed of light. Invariably, something goes wrong. Professional photography meets those challenges and resolves them. Of course, sometimes we fail. When that happens, the only thing to do is admit it, analyze what went wrong and try again. Fall down seven times, get up eight.

Nicole and Michelle Valencia

Yesterday I resolved one of those failures. I took family photos awhile back and they came out great. But we had limited time in a rental studio and we forgot to make a separate portrait of the mother and daughter. I told them I would be happy to shoot the two of them in my home studio at no charge. After they went through the images of the entire family and picked out those they wanted printed, we had a successful portrait session.

When you’re looking for a professional photographer you should be clear about your expectations. Ask what happens if things go wrong. No one can guarantee that you will like how you look in a photo. But if you like the photographer’s work, then chances are you will look great to those who know you. If disaster strikes — such as a family emergency, a technical catastrophe with the photographic equipment, forgetting a requested pose — you should expect a professional to make things right.