Balance

Photography is comprised of three essential “controllable” pieces that must be constantly balanced in order to create an excellent image. These three ultimately work together to control the light that is hitting the camera’s sensor to create the photo. Aperture is the control of the size of the actual opening through which light is allowed to pass through to the sensor, affecting the point of focus (focal length) from very close (blurry background or bokeh) to very far (sharp background). Shutter speed is the speed at which the actual camera shutter is allowed to open and close, affecting both the amount of light on the sensor as well as blurring or stopping movement as desired. Finally, ISO is simply the control of the light sensitivity for the sensor itself. Proper control of an image involves balancing these three sides of the photographic triangle and taking into account that each one affects the others. Keeping in mind the end goal of an image helps with this balance as sometimes it may be necessary to emphasize or even lock down one side and adjust the others. For example, if you want to cause a water fall to show soft flow rather than a frozen image shutter speed will be prioritized to be very long but the light must still be properly balanced with aperture and ISO to get proper exposure in the image.

I find that balance in life is similar to the photography triangle. If I keep in mind what my end goals are then it is easier to place proper priority on certain aspects in order to maintain balance. Three basic building blocks of a healthy life are the spiritual, mental, and physical. Each are important for health and I have found that each one can affect the other in positive or negative ways. If I live in a manner that desires to let in the light of Christ (John 8:12) and then reflect that light to the world (Matthew 5:14) then I will choose habits that promote health in all of these areas. Just as photography is only an image of the light that is captured on a camera sensor my life is simply a reflection of the image of Christ as captured on my heart and if it is out of balance the image will not have a clear reflection.

Consider what it means to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…” (Eph. 4:12) and how allowing life to become out of balance can impact this walk. Creating habits of health in each of the three building blocks and consistently focusing on these can have an incredible impact over time on the image that your life reflects.