This video is a bit of a rant—in the best way. I’m not breaking down a specific project or piece of gear. I’m just talking straight to camera about creating, because it’s way too easy to get pulled into everything except the reason you started shooting in the first place. Earlier this year I spent a ton of time building my camera filter business (Element Filters), and while I’m super grateful for it, I hit a point where I was frustrated because I wasn’t making anything as a DP. I want to shoot narrative, scripted work, and I realized I’d lost sight of that over the last six months by juggling too many things at once. So I made a point to just go shoot. In the last month I did two projects that were purely about creative fulfillment: a short film with a skeleton crew where we pulled favors for lights and a Dana Dolly, and another run-and-gun shoot downtown LA with a director and a friend acting. The takeaway is simple: don’t wait for permission, budget, or the “right” camera—go make something. Whether it’s a cinema package or your phone, you’ll learn composition, light, and taste every single time you put yourself out there.