Skip to main content

Paying It Forward

We all live in a world where it's easy to hide behind the relative anonymity of a computer screen and keyboard which, unfortunately, brings out the worst in some people. After reading a troll-ish response to someone in an online photography forum recently, I have a few things to say.

I think it's safe to say with 100% certainty, that there is not one professional well-known photographer who at some point didn't start from the beginning. Yes, some people may be born with a more innate talent than others, but they still have to practice their craft. Practice. Fail. Practice. Fail. Practice, practice, practice. One day the technique is perfected, and you begin to see improvement. Work hard to be the best you can be. Whatever your craft or profession. In terms of photography, not one of us picks up a camera one day and becomes a world-famous photographer the next. We all have to start somewhere: asking questions, learning from other photographers, reading books, watching videos, joining a photography club - the combinations are endless.

What does tear us down is those with shitty attitudes. You didn't come out of your mama's womb with a camera in hand and a "professional" career at age two. You worked hard (hopefully) to get where you are. You learned as you grew (both physically and mentally). Someone helped you along the way. Pay that forward and help someone else. You don't have to give them every bit of information or every trick-of-the-trade you've ever learned. But wouldn't the world be a better place if we help each other, rather than belittling someone for asking a question? Belittling someone accomplishes nothing other than to show how insecure and unprofessional you are. What are you so scared of?

So I have two messages: 

1. For up-and-coming photographers:

  • Don't be afraid to ask questions. The large majority of photographers are very nice people who LOVE to talk about photography. Don't let a few nasty ones scare you away from pursuing your craft.
  • Talk with people in online photography forums. Again, people love to talk about photography.
  • Take your camera off "AUTO" and learn the manual settings. These will become very important as you continue to learn.
  • Join a local photography club in your area. This is a great place to see what others are doing and to learn from others. 
  • Show your work to a professional photographer you trust (or a professional portfolio reviewer or college art professor) and really listen to their constructive critique. 
  • Do your research. Take classes, watch videos, read books or magazines, etc. Absorb as much as you can about your subject matter. 
  • Don't be afraid to ask questions. This has already been said, but it's very important. Everyone asks questions. Even professionals. 

2. For all photographers working with clients:

  • Carefully consider the image you present to your clients. And in this instance I don't mean the actual printed photograph. I mean the professional demeanor you're showing your clients. Call it your philosophy, your approach, your mindset ... whatever. Why on earth would a client hire someone with a bitter diva attitude, no matter how good their photos may be? Chances are, that photographer will be a nightmare to work with. Clients aren't stupid. Don't treat them that way.
  • There is always someone better at your craft than you, no matter who you are. Don't look at that as something to be scared of or bitter about. Look at it as a way to encourage you to work harder to improve your skills. 

No bitterness needed. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The "Peeping Tom" photographer vs. a subject's right to privacy

Where does a subject's right to privacy begin? A "peeping Tom" photographer/artist, Arne Svenson, in New York took photos of his unsuspecting neighbors through their windows. The photos (including those of children) are now featured in a gallery exhibit in Manhattan. Needless to say, the subjects are not pleased. According to the photographer, no invasion of privacy took place because the subjects in the photos can't be identified. I call B.S. on that. While faces may not be shown, I would bet that someone who knows some of the people in the photos could easily recognize them. I do agree that if you want your daily activities in your home to remain private, then you should close your curtains or window blinds. However, you should also be allowed to assume that your daily activities won't end up being turned into a gallery exhibit, raking in thousands of dollars for the so-called artist. And as this article  points out, people don't pay huge amounts of money...
2 comments
Read more

Would you deface a piece of history for a photo?

I read an interesting article yesterday on CNN. Russian photographer Vadim Makhorov and a group of his friends apparently disregarded rules that prohibit the public from climbing the Pyramids of Giza - just to get a few photos from the top of the pyramids. Were the photos worth it? I'm not sure. Yes, they were nice, but the idea that the photographers not only ignored safety regulations, but risked defacing one of the great wonders of the world - all for the sake of a photo - pissed me off. Now don't get me wrong. Oftentimes I do photograph a subject with the "It's better to ask forgiveness than permission" mantra. But I'm always respectful of my chosen subject, be it a person on the street, a field of wildflowers or a national monument. Of course Makhorov says he "would like to apologize for this ascension. We didn't want to insult anyone. We were just following the dream." Uh huh. He's not apologizing for doing it. He's apologizin...
2 comments
Read more

A Long Absence

It's been five years since my last blog post. Five years. I realize how pitiful that is. Why even bother with a blog if I'm not going to update it, right? Very good question. I started out with good intentions, but...well, you know what they say about good intentions. Part of the delay was due to my procrastination in writing a new blog post. Sometimes writing doesn't come very naturally for me. I struggle with what to write about. Other times an easy topic comes to mind, but my nit-picky nature comes out and it feels like it takes me forever to find the right words. By that point, my interest in the topic has waned and I've moved on to other things. "Squirrel!" Various life events happened during the past few years that resulted in my website and blog being pushed to the back-burner on my priority list. I got married (after waiting 20+ years for it to become legal. YAY for marriage equality!). I changed jobs in 2015 (same organization, different te...
Post a Comment
Read more