Have you ever walked into a room and felt either negative or positive energy? As a photographer, I deal with that a lot. I believe that everyone has a spirit within them that gives off energy and people can feel that energy the moment they lay eyes on you. Sometimes even sooner.
I like to believe I'm more in touch with this energy than others. I sometimes think I can see and feel things in people that others can not. Don't get me wrong, I'm not crazy -- I don't think. It's not schizophrenia, but I just think I'm more in touch with the spirit world than the average guy. I may be delusional in that belief, but it's how I feel and I'm sticking with it.
I've found that there's no time you realize the power of this "spirit energy" more than when you point a big camera lens at someone. Some people instantly let their positive energy run wild and smile, dance, jump and act out like children without a care in the world. Some people stare at you like a deer in headlights, not really sure what to do. Yet others shoot you an icy jolt of negative energy that makes most photographers instantly turn their lens away. Sometimes I like to fight that urge and see what happens next. It's like a battle between curious and negative energies. Out of respect for the subject, I usually lose that battle and turn away, but sometimes their negativity subsides and they open up enough for me to snap a few decent shots.
There's no time I've realized the power of this spirit energy more than before a mixed martial arts fight. I've been photographing fighters for a couple years now and I can tell a lot by the energy a fighter gives off prior to entering the cage. Obviously, it's rare that a fighter would want their picture taken prior to a fight. I usually try to be respectful and sneak a few pictures here and there without disturbing them. After all, they're in preparation mode, so their energy is usually mixed and not very conducive to picture taking.
I think the fact that fighters are flirting with death is what brings out an entirely new element to the spirit energy photographers deal with. No matter how you spin it, MMA is a dangerous sport. It's one of the only sports where you enter a cage and what happens in there could cause death to become a reality. If the grim reaper was a sports fan, I'm sure he'd be lurking at MMA events. That might sound gruesome, but that's exactly what makes MMA one of the most exciting sports out today. Fighters are putting their lives on the line. Sure they're well-trained and surrounded by trainers, referees and paramedics who know exactly what to do if something goes wrong, but that doesn't eliminate the possibility.
What I enjoy most from photographing MMA is watching how quickly a fighter's closed off "negative" energy can turn to euphoric "positive" energy after they've won the fight and had their hand raised in victory. The same fighter who shot me an icy glare of negative energy just moments before the fight is now wagging his tongue in my lens wanting to be a star. And, of course, I oblige and generously snap away.
So the next time you're at an event and you see a big lens pointed your way, think twice about the type of energy you're giving off. Why not make it easy on the photographer and send some positive energy their way. I'm sure they'll really appreciate it.
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