18 Apr 2007
Chanced upon this while going through the scrap blogs I frequently visit. This was taken from this blog.
*~*~*~*
What Every Aspiring Photographer Should Know
- Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don’t look outward for your style; look inward.
- Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. It’s like money; you only have it when you don’t need it.
- Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically. You cannot build your sense of aesthetics on a concensus.
- Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself and your clients. Turn down jobs that don’t fit you, say no to overbooking yourself. You are no good to anyone when you’re stressed and anxious.
- Learn to say “I’m a photographer” out loud with a straight face. If you can’t say it and believe it, you can’t expect anyone else to, either.
- You cannot specialize in everything.
- You don’t have to go into business just because people tell you you should! And you don’t have to be full time and making an executive income to be successful. If you decide you want to be in business, set your limits before you begin.
- Know your style before you hang out your shingle. If you don’t, your clients will dictate your style to you. That makes you nothing more than a picture taker. Changing your style later will force you to start all over again, and that’s tough.
- Accept critique, but don’t apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work. Implement only what makes sense to implement. That doesn’t not make you ungrateful, it makes you independent.
- Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve. It may seem like a good idea to call your business “Precious Chubby Tootsies”….but what happens when you decide you love to photograph seniors? Or boudoir?
- Remember that if your work looks like everyone else’s, there’s no reason for a client to book you instead of someone else. Unless you’re cheaper. And nobody wants to be known as “the cheaper photographer”.
- Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.
- It’s easier to focus on buying that next piece of equipment than it is to accept that you should be able to create great work with what you’ve got. Buying stuff is a convenient and expensive distraction. You need a decent camera, a decent lens, and a light meter. Until you can use those tools consistently and masterfully, don’t spend another dime. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you’ve outgrown your current equipment and you’re being limited by it. There are no magic bullets.
- Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection.
- Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place. Excellent technique is a great tool, but a terrible end product. The best thing your technique can do is not call attention to itself. Never let your technique upstage your subject.
- Never compare your journey with someone else’s. It’s a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never “arrive”. No one ever does.
- Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacence.
*~*~*~*
I do wish to become a photographer. But it’s still a long way to go for me. So many things to learn.
5 Responses to “18 Apr 2007”
April 19th, 2007 at 1:15 am
Hey Alpha, ever thought of making it as your profession?
Your photos are great 
April 19th, 2007 at 9:42 am
I love this entry. Though I know I don’t have much eye in photography… frustration ko nga sya, trying hard pa rin ako. LOL. Ikaw kahit di na magtry ang ganda ng pictures so good luck Alpha.
Continue posting those beautiful shots. Click away!
April 20th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
aww, kababasa ko lang nito the other day, hehe… i think i stumbled this from one designer’s blog. anyway, looks like you gonna be a great photographer someday. gaganda ng mga shots mo.
goodluck!
April 24th, 2007 at 7:14 am
hi alpha! frustrated photographer here! kaso unlike you, wala pa kong magandang digicam. so di ko tuloy maisakatuparan ang pangarap ko hhehehe… basta pagiipunan ko talaga yan. salamat sa post mo na ito. nakakainspire!
June 30th, 2007 at 12:30 am
hi alpha! i loved reading this post! I also love taking pictures as a hobby
Btw, I just wanna ask what camera u use for underwater shots…
I love your photos! Keep em coming!
Leave a Comment