Music and Photography. Two art forms. Two different ways of self-expression. To me, two sides of the same coin.

I never considered myself a photographer until the age of 46. Yet, when I look back on my life, I always had a camera with me. It was a cheap film camera, and I had no clue how to take good pictures—but the camera was with me.

When I got my first digital camera, I began learning about photography: things like composition, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. Soon, I could see the results, and more and more, I wanted to shoot things—buildings, birds, flowers, leaves, doors, windows, clouds, water, people, shadows… Whatever caught my eye, I took pictures of it. Lots of pictures.

I remember a time when I was taking an average of 1,000 pictures per week.

It’s like music. During a concert or a recording session, I want to play that note, that melody, that solo, that song. In photography, when I’m shooting, I want to capture that moment, that shape, that mood, that light. Getting a beautiful picture is like playing a perfect song.

When I got my first DSLR camera, things changed. No, I’m not saying that better gear makes better photographers. These days, even the most basic phone camera is far more advanced than what Cartier-Bresson used to take his legendary photographs—and yet, few can come close to the brilliance of his work. What I’m talking about is control.

My first DSLR gave me greater control over the results. It gave me the tools to achieve the vision I had in my mind when looking at a scene. It allowed me to overcome difficult lighting or adverse conditions.

The task is simple—at least in theory. To get a good shot, I just need to position myself to find the right angle, use the zoom (if available) to frame the composition, set the proper shutter speed, aperture, and ISO… and bang! Easier said than done.

I came to understand that, just like with music, I need to practice a lot in order to convey emotion through images. Just as I need to understand harmony, scales, rhythm, composition, and improvisation in music, I need to understand light, depth of field, shutter speed, shape, color, composition, and expression in photography. And just like scales, chords, and technique alone don’t make great music, shutter speed, ISO, and expensive lenses don’t make great photographs.

To become a photographer, I needed the same perseverance I had when learning to play the bass.

The more I learn about photography, the more I realize that the euphoria of a perfect musical performance—when everything flows, every note, every rhythm, every layer of self-expression—also happens when I take pictures. Today, I understand that music and photography share the same space in my heart.

Music and photography are, to me, just two sides of the same coin. Today, I proudly consider myself both a musician and a photographer.