Music I Listen to While I Shoot

As soon as music starts playing the surroundings disappear, and my mind is isolated into a fully concentrated state. Whenever I travel to a new city, I almost always walk the entire day, everyday. For the first few days I’m there I soak everything in – the sounds of the city’s streets, the language people are speaking- even buskers I happen upon – witnessing and really listening to all of these things are a part of immersing yourself in culture. There comes a time though when the distractions of life can be overwhelming, and when becoming fully present in what I’m doing takes precedent. I put my headphones on, hit shuffle on my favorite playlist, and all of a sudden I’m walking to a new rhythm. My focus is sharpened, and I sometimes even find myself clicking the shutter in time with the beat. Not being able to hear the white noise of daily life sharpens my visual senses, and my art is a result of that increased focus.

You may already have read my most recent blog post Photography Meditation – My Path to Consciousness where I talk about how my passion for photography helps me focus and, becomes my own way of practicing mindfulness- but music also plays an important role here as well.

Once I’m back in my studio to start sorting through my shots and selecting the best pieces – editing takes time and creativity. That’s when I wear my headphones again and my brain knows it’s time to focus. The songs I listen to help keep me focused, help me think creatively, and get me into a great mood even when I’m lacking motivation.

The following playlist is one I’ve personally curated – and I continuously add to it and refine it over time. It contains songs that have the power to almost immediately inspire me and get me pumped up to get out and shoot – and also to dive into editing in my studio. Sometimes I will even play a song on repeat if I feel that I’m really connecting to it at any given time – sometimes even for hours in a row. I really hope you enjoy this playlist, as it has been a part of my creative process for quite some time.

I hope this blog was helpful! Give a listen to the playlist and let me know what you think! I’m confident it can definitely inspire you, and help you focus while doing any activity you love. Thank you so much for your time, and for supporting artists around the world. I hope to hear from you soon! <3 Scott