Momentum and the Weight of a Camera Bag
Weeks ago, I wrote about how a weak body can’t carry all the gear. About how my health had become a bottleneck for the life I want to live — days in the bush, long hours in hides, hauling cinema rigs, climbing with a 600mm on my back.
Since then, I’ve dropped 9 kilos. That’s the equivalent of carrying a Canon 600mm f/4, a 400mm f/2.8, plus bodies and accessories — gone. Every step, every climb, every future seat in a cramped bush plane will feel lighter.
But weight loss is just the surface. What I’ve really discovered is the power of momentum.
Momentum is Manufactured
Momentum is one of the greatest tools we have for creating massive wins in life. It’s not magic. It doesn’t arrive by chance. Momentum is manufactured.
It’s built through relentless daily execution.
Through showing up when it sucks.
Through refusing to compromise.
The first day feels awful.
The second day still feels awful.
The third? Maybe slightly less. But still awful…
But as the days stack up, something shifts. The impossible becomes routine. You stop questioning the work and simply do it. That’s momentum — a force that amplifies every effort.
Fragile, Yet Powerful
Here’s the thing: momentum is fragile.
It can take months to build and seconds to break. One compromise — one “I’ll skip today” — can send you sliding back down the hill you just climbed. That’s why momentum must be protected like your life depends on it.
For me, momentum isn’t about hitting a certain weight. It’s about stacking small, daily wins until my body is strong enough to carry my ambition. Strong enough to handle the gear, the expeditions, the 16-hour days in wild places.
Just Do It
Momentum thrives on action. Not motivation. Not inspiration. Action.
Pick up the camera bag and walk.
Put down the junk food and eat clean.
Show up, even when you don’t feel like it.
The reward isn’t just in lighter steps or a stronger body. The reward is the compounding effect — in photography, filmmaking, business, life.
Momentum is the silent multiplier of effort. Protect it. Feed it. Use it.
Because once it’s on your side, you’ll be unstoppable.
Monday Morning
As I’m writing this it’s Monday morning. My desk is stacked — I need to prep for tomorrow’s board meeting, a press release to finalize, salaries to approve before the bank cut-off, web meetings, the daily pile. Endless excuses not to go to the gym.
But my schedule is clear: I go every second day, no matter what.
At 08:00, right after I drop off my son at school, I’ll be in the gym. The wife is away on a landscape trip in Norway. No one would know if I skipped today’s session.
But I would.
And that’s exactly how momentum is built. Skip once, and suddenly that 600mm is back on your shoulders.