ULF Diary 12/03/2022 - Leaders are Readers

Welcome to my Ultra Large Format Photography Journal.  I share my personal thoughts and experiences with my family and friends in the hope they will gain a deeper understanding of who I am and how much I love creating ultra large format contact prints.  I consider this process to be the ultimate medium for self-expression. Ultra large format contact printing is slow, contemplative, and never needs to change today or a thousand years from now.  It's already perfect, and no improvements are desired or needed.  If you want to watch some videos of me and Tim Jr. working in the darkroom, then you can follow our YouTube Darkroom Diary, where we bring you behind the scenes with us. 

This article today is a little different than what I have been writing about, but it is what's on my mind right now, and the entire point of journaling is to write about current thoughts. 

I want to share that I believe my desire to read is a core part of my success.  I have always been a reader my entire life, and I don't see that ever-changing.  Reading, for me is about learning, not reading fiction.  

There is so much to read and learn about in regards to large and ultra large format photography that I could live to be 500 years old and still never be done.  

While reading has direct value in terms of gaining new knowledge and insights, I think it is more than that too.  

I think reading keeps your mind in the game, and since we as human beings have limited capacities, reading helps expand our creative and technical minds in ways that I think are very healthy and good. 

I once read that many smart people really aren't very smart.  They may be gifted with the ability to recall facts and information, but they don't have real hands-on experience in many cases.  

I share this thought because I want to encourage you to experiment and explore your new large and ultra large format knowledge, and I think many benefits will come your way. 

Harry Truman famously said once that not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers. In real life, reading has many benefits that I hope you tap into and take advantage of.  

I hope this journal article today serves as a good reminder to pick up a new book that will help you go deeper with your photography.

You can follow my YouTube Darkroom Diary, where Tim Jr. and I bring you behind the scenes in our darkroom, where we work on our latest Ultra Large Format projects. 

Tim