Tuesday's Tip: Common Pitfalls in Outlook/Attitude

Today I wanted to talk about outlooks or attitudes that I feel are common; they are things that I would try to stay away from as a photographer starting out.  I've seen others make these mistakes I don't think sets them up optimally for success, I'll try to explain why I think so as I go through.

Find Personal Fulfilment in your Craft 

I love this photo

I understand when people really like something they are likely to buy it but I have personally found that some of the most vocal individuals are people who were never going to buy. For example, another children's photographer is unlikely to hire you to take pictures of their kids, so it isn't a big deal if they don't like your pictures of children. Likewise someone who is already married doesn't need to be in love with your wedding photography- it's great if they do but they're not your target market. There are some real trolls out there, some of them are other photographers who get off on criticising others.  I find that photographers who are too involved in what everyone thinks about their work have two big problems 1) They chase trends and try to please everyone instead of developing their own style. 2) They lack confidence in themselves and their work, regardless of their skills or their works artist merit. Do listen to people, sometimes they have a point that could be realistically improved upon but don't take photos to please the masses. Look for personal satisfaction in your work and aim to please the people who are actually buying from you. Even when you don't have clients, keep shooting to develop your personal style and acknowledge the value of your skills and the images you have.









Be open minded; Be teachable

I took this photo at a workshop I did

I have heard it said that there is no such thing as constructive criticism- there is only criticism and good advice and although they may come one right after the other they can't be dealt out simultaneously. Often times I think that in trying to not let criticism hurt, artist can be closed minded to all feedback. In a way this is the opposite problem of the aforementioned pitfall. While its great to have confidence, there is a place for people who are creditable and legitimately trying to help. I find the best way to be teachable is to go into a situation where you are obviously the student- like a class taught by a reputable teacher. some of my best experiences have been great classes. Although, not every class I've taken has been amazing. Frankly, some have been downright crumby but even the crumby ones improved me somehow- if only my patience :) While you may or may not be hanging on their every word, you can always practice listening and decide to take away at least one thing from the class. That is also how I listen to people's advise, I listen to it all and try to initially respond positively to all of it without letting too much sink in yet. Then after the conversation I then decide to take one or two points away and actually work on them. Assessing the creditability of the advise is also very important- while great advice can come from an amateur and horrid advice from a pro statistics favor the opposite.










There is No Magic Pill

 I'm still working at it

There are no lighting fairies or glass gods out there. Your destiny in photography is not the result of luck, fate or even a photo deity. It's your practice and hard work that make the difference. The end point of your work will depend 99.9% on you! Go shoot, go shoot, go shoot, then edit, edit, edit, network, network, network and REPEAT. Likewise there is no magic class you can take that will automatically transform you or piece of awesome equipment that will make all the difference the day you purchase it. Yes, everyone possesses different talents but every photographer is going to have to put work into some aspect of their business. There really is no substitute for hard work and rather than comparing the amount of work others seem to be doing keep you eyes on your own prize!

I recently read this quote

" Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
- Thomas A. Edison