Research Paper: Photography & Coaching: A Reflective Perspective

Research Paper By Paula Maddox
(Executive Coach, UNITED STATES)

My Photographic Perspective

I’m a professional photographer with more than 24K images; therefore, I tend to see the world from my own creative camera lens. I see what others see, but I can also filter the same images through another mental lens.

At times, I can view the same scene in my mind in a tonal black and white or I can choose to mentally see it with more vivid color. I also have macro lenses that allow me to take images that the human eye will have difficulty seeing. Therefore, I see the beauty of the world from a different perspective, especially when I can take images of flowers with pollen lightly sprinkled on the flower pedals or a butterfly sipping nectar with it’s tongue. Through photography, I have learned to view my life through a different and new creative lens and to see the world through a new reflective perspective. I also choose to see coaching through the same creative spectrum. Hence, I named my coaching business, Paula’s Perspectives.

My Coaching Perspective

Coaching allows clients an opportunity to explore fresh perspectives with measurable outcomes in a confidential and safe space. Therefore, clients use coaching as an opportunity to spend time exploring and reflecting on their thoughts. Also, coaching allows clients to hear themselves think, establish and take action towards achieving specific goals, gain more job & life satisfaction and to increase their communication skills. Most human resource & personnel specialists agree that one of the primary benefits of coaching is that it generates improvement in an individual performance goal and increases a client’s openness to personal learning and development. Coaching is a process that creates greater clarity and develops self-awareness, which increases the client’s potential.

What Does It All Mean?

However, we must be forever mindful that what’s going on in our head is a true reflection of what is going on in our life. In addition, what we see in our world is a mirror reflection of our own thoughts.

On the other hand, photography allows us to capture images in a certain moment of time, which can never be repeated…only remembered. Not many consider photography as a skill or an art form, because little or no technical knowledge is needed, but most would agree that photography appeals to the senses.

Therefore, we photograph what we value and cherish the most! If you want to know what matters the most to someone, take a moment to browse through their photo album or the photos stored on their smartphone to see what’s there. Their photographs will tell their story. What is stored there will reflect what they cherish.

Most importantly, we must be mindful not to give someone else our picture frame to fill. Our life is our opportunity to fill our own picture frame and photo album with what matters to us the most. Life is the art of filling our photo album with valuable pictures. What pictures define and describe your life? If we browse through the pictures in your phone, we will know all we need to know about you.

In essence, does coaching and photography relate to one another? Do they allow us to view life from a different reflective lens or perspective? Individuals must answer that question for themselves.

How we see life depends on our angle of view from our photographic lens. If something doesn’t make sense, coaching allows us to look again with a new lens and with clarity. Therefore, life is the lens, happiness is the photograph and you are the photographer.

Application

So when your clients get stuck and feel it is challenging to move forward, here are some thoughts that may help:

• You cannot change your condition until you know your position;
• Most of us don’t see ourselves in the perspective of others. Spend time around people, who reflect you and allow you to see yourself more effectively;
• Whatever you focus upon is magnified; therefore, what are you focusing upon?If you want to change your life; change your heart;
• If you want something different; you have to do something different. What are you willing to do differently?
• Get a different perspective on your situation, so you can change how you view your perspective. A different perspective on your situation will provide you with a better perception on how to deal with your situation;
• The less we look with our eyes, the more we will see with our hearts;
• Your life is the most exclusive and the most wonderful event you’ll ever attend. How do you choose to experience it?
• The only thing that makes it a part of your life is that you keep thinking about it.