Photo Flow Triggers

The final step in making archival negatives in a traditional darkroom is making sure there aren’t any water marks or streaks on the film. A Kodak chemical named Photo-Flo reduces tension in the final water bath before squeegeeing the film.

At the beginning of the process, as you’re making the photos that will be on the processed film, photo flow is just as important.

Photo Flow is the process where a photographer enters what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi described as people finding genuine satisfaction during a state of consciousness. In this state, they are completely absorbed in an activity, especially an activity that involves their creative abilities.

My conjecture is this flow state occurs when a photographer removes themselves from the mechanical aspects of the task of making photographs and steps into experiencing the subject or activities of the subject.

Simply put, the top file flow state triggers are: Risk, novelty, complexity, unpredictability, and pattern recognition.

As lawyers say at the end of their exposition, “I rest my case.” These five moments envelop every photograph ever made. Made as snapshots by amateurs, news or sports photos from photojournalists, or classic photo art by transcendalists. Without these five flow triggers good photographs don’t happen.

Risk

When there are potential consequences or rewards associated with making a photo, the stakes feel higher. That can motivate a photographer to perform at their best and become fully immersed in the task.

Novelty

Novel experiences garb our curiosity encouraging us to increase engagement with our subjects and focusing on its story. When photographers engage in the same routine tasks repeatedly, they may become bored and disengaged. Novelty helps break this monotony and keeps their minds active and interested.

Complexity

Flow is challenge balanced with high skill level. Engaging in an activity that challenges your skills just enough to keep you engaged without being too difficult or too easy is crucial for achieving flow.

Unpredictability

When making photos of a subject is unpredictable, photographer’s minds are less likely to wander or become bored. They must stay alert and prepared to respond to new challenges or surprises. Unpredictable situations require flexibility in thinking and actions. Flow can promote a sense of immersion and engagement in the task at hand.

Pattern Recognition

This is very much like the repeating pattern broken by an oblique line or different shape or color. Recognizing patterns can serve as a foundation for creativity and innovation, where you can break, combine, or manipulate existing patterns to generate something new which can be highly engaging and rewarding.

By incorporating these triggers into your photography and creating an environment conducive to flow, you can increase your chances of entering and staying in a flow state.

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