We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tim Canfield. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tim below.
Tim, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Developing my confidence and self-esteem is an ongoing process that will likely last a lifetime.
I was scared of heights. Now I comfortably sit on ledges with nothing but 1,000s of feet below me. I had crippling social anxiety when I was younger. Now I take groups on photography tours and show my booth at art shows.
I’ve come a long way and the biggest strides have come from following what lights me up the most. When I consistently follow my highest calling, I see my fears and anxieties drip away. Nerves still take hold at times, but they feel more and more like excitement rather than dread.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
It all started in a high school darkroom developing frames of black & white film. I wasn’t all that good. I rarely ventured out of the auto mode of my camera. I’m sure I breathed in a whole bunch of interesting chemicals as I was creating my “masterpieces” at the time. But I could never quite shake it. Now over two decades later, I’m still at it. My love for the art of photography has only grown by leaps and bounds. It’s my passion. I’ve gone to places under conditions that I never could have imagined in my wildest dreams. It motivates me to wake up early and stay out late. To drive and hike for hours upon hours, usually in the dark and with a headlamp that always seems to be on its last leg. Interesting things happen along the way to the edges of the day. If you want to follow along, consider joining me on a private or small group workshop, or stay a safe distance away via my misadventures blog.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Number one: allow yourself to make mistakes. I had to get over myself being a perfectionist. I have learned the most from my dark days. When everything is seemingly going wrong, it’s sometimes hard to see the gift. Yet, it’s usually there. Quite often at the beginning and end of my days I say to myself, “Thank you for today. Thank you for this life. Thank you for this experience.” I say this no matter if it was a “good” or “ bad” day.
Number two: take your time. Let off the gas and relieve the pressure. We live in a society that promotes instant satisfaction, success, and fame. I’ve had moderate success in photography. I realize that it takes time, especially when I’m juggling being an accountant, a devoted partner, and a present dad. A tiny seed grows into a strong tree over time.
Number three: stay true to yourself. If you are following a creative path, make it your own. Follow that which stokes the fire within. Forge your own path and offer the world the gift of your unique vision.
How would you describe your ideal client?
My ideal client is open. Open to try new things and to take a chance. Open to share themselves and to be vulnerable.
My photography may draw people in, but it’s the relationships and the conversations that are more meaningful. I want to get to know you and help you take a step or two past your edges. I would love to have that reciprocated as well. Many, many times, my clients have taught me a life lesson or few… with or without them knowing it.
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Instagram: timcanfieldphotography
