"I try and play 2 or 3 times a week to stay on my game"
About this Quote
A working photographer admitting he has to "play" several times a week to stay sharp quietly rejects the myth of the lightning-bolt artist. The line is almost disarmingly casual, but that casualness is the point: Page frames craft as maintenance, not inspiration. "Stay on my game" borrows the language of sports and performance, turning artistry into something with muscle memory, reflexes, and rust. It suggests that seeing well is not just a talent you possess; its a condition you keep from slipping.
The most telling word is "play". For a photographer, "playing" can mean walking with a camera, experimenting with light, running film or settings without the pressure of a deliverable. Page is talking about structured freedom: repeated low-stakes practice that keeps the instincts primed for high-stakes moments. That sits especially well with his era and reputation. Coming up in the mid-century documentary tradition, and famously working amid the chaos of Vietnam, Page learned that the decisive moment is as much about readiness as bravery. When the world becomes fast and violent, technical fluency and compositional reflex can be the difference between making an image and missing it.
Subtextually, its also a small argument against romantic suffering. You dont wait for the muse; you show up. The intent feels almost pedagogical: a reminder that professionals dont just create, they train. In a culture that treats cameras as effortless extensions of the self, Page insists the eye is a skill that dulls without repetition - and that staying good is an ongoing, ordinary choice.
The most telling word is "play". For a photographer, "playing" can mean walking with a camera, experimenting with light, running film or settings without the pressure of a deliverable. Page is talking about structured freedom: repeated low-stakes practice that keeps the instincts primed for high-stakes moments. That sits especially well with his era and reputation. Coming up in the mid-century documentary tradition, and famously working amid the chaos of Vietnam, Page learned that the decisive moment is as much about readiness as bravery. When the world becomes fast and violent, technical fluency and compositional reflex can be the difference between making an image and missing it.
Subtextually, its also a small argument against romantic suffering. You dont wait for the muse; you show up. The intent feels almost pedagogical: a reminder that professionals dont just create, they train. In a culture that treats cameras as effortless extensions of the self, Page insists the eye is a skill that dulls without repetition - and that staying good is an ongoing, ordinary choice.
Quote Details
| Topic | Training & Practice |
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