I am not a great photographer.
Although I have a good understanding of the theory behind photography, and although I have read several books on the subject (including my cameras’ users manual), I won’t be doing any shows of my work in the new few months!
But for the next five weeks, on Wednesday night, I trudge down to my local college, and I sit in a photography class for three hours.
Right now, I am learning something about story.
Beginning, middle and end.
Resolution.
Framing.
Time.
Now, I may not know much about photography, but I have seen over 100,000 patients, and on nearly every one of them, I have needed to extract the “History of Present Illness” – that is, their story.
Story is something I am an expert in.
It is my touchstone skill – something I can build on to improve my photographic technique.
Look, the journey to excellence – whether it is in photography or medicine, requires 3 things:
- Desire.
- Technical skills
- Patience
Right now, I have a desire to become a much better photographer. I don’t know where this comes from, but it is there. It’s what got me out of bed at 4:30 the morning the other day to learn how to shoot in low light condition at Pikes Place Market. (See Above).
Also, my technical skills are gradually improving. I am learning how to hold my camera steady at a low shutter speed. I am playing with lenses. I am going back to my camera book, and i study the photos I take critically, thinking through ISO, F-Stop, and speed.
And my patience is solid. With just a 1-2 hours of focused photographic work per week, it may take five years before I can say I am a very good photographer. That’s OK, because that’s what makes it fun.
But let me make this clear. It’s not the only journey I am on.
I am also on a journey to understanding how new technologies, such as AI, will engage with healthcare in the ethical domain.
To become excellent here – in the confluence of Healthcare, AI and Ethics – will require a deep understanding and experience in all three of these fields.
There are no shortcuts.
But that is what makes the journey fun.