Photography is all about light.

If you were to look at the Greek roots of the word (oh no, this is the nerd speaking – watch out!) you get phos (light) and graphis (drawing). So: drawing with light (roughly…I never actually took Greek. I know, I know, I call myself a college graduate).

The point is, taking photographs is using light to make an image.

So what do you do when you have very little light to work with?

PANIC!!

OK, not really. You adjust your ISO, you open your aperture, you use a strobe (flash) if possible, you look at what light is available and harness it to your advantage.

When I shot the Friday Night Yoga Club last Friday, I went through a similar process. It wasn’t the easiest atmosphere to shoot in with the lights dimmed, the room packed and the use of a strobe efficiently killing the ambiance of the studio.

Conditions weren’t perfect. But: when are they ever?

Seriously. A photoshoot never goes exactly as you envision it. That’s just part of this business. You can’t let the difficulties bowl you over and debilitate you into inaction. No matter what, you have to make a shot from what is in front of you. It’s challenging, and yes can be very frustrating, but that’s the job.

I was talking to a friend of mine last weekend who had just finished shooting an assignment that proved to be just as difficult, though for different reasons.

As we were discussing these challenges, he said, “But you know, I’m going to try to stop complaining about this kind of thing. If this job (photojournalism) was easy, everyone would want to do it.”

And he was absolutely right. Pursuing this dream of being a photographer is a gift. I consider myself blessed for getting the opportunities to do this job, which frankly – more often than not – doesn’t feel like a job at all. Yes, it can be difficult and leave you feeling anxious and unsure, but if you’re willing to work through that anxiety, you end up with incredible opportunities and moments and experiences.

We each have our gifts and our dreams, and each one has its obstacles to overcome. But if it’s what you want to do, you embrace them. You own them. And that’s what makes all the difference.