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They don’t like me because I’m fun

I entered a little photo competition the other week on Whirlpool. There's no prize, but I've never entered any of my work into any competition and I've been trying to put myself out there a little more.

The theme's competition was Solitude - "The act of being alone without being lonely". While the description given may not mesh with your definition of the word, I took ended up using it in a bit of a roundabout way.

So here's my entry, titled "They don't like me because I'm fun":

In true procrastinary style, I ended up taking it close to the competition deadline, so I ended up with household items. Perhaps a little too ambitious however, was the choice to try to go for off-camera flash.

I had at the time an old Hanimex flash that doesn't have complete manual control and a Canon 430EX Speedlite. Since I couldn't set the Hanimex, I bounced it off the ceiling and set my camera's exposure accordingly for the metal kitchenware.

At first, that was all I was going to do, but then I thought that the little plastic teaspoon needed to stand out a bit more aside from the distance. I didn't think it quite showed that it was alone or outcast from the rest. To highlight it, I dropped the exposure on the metal cutlery a touch and used the 430EX, just off to the right of the frame with a snoot on it.

What I didn't notice until I got it into Lightroom were the marks on some of the cutlery. Unfortunately, by then I'd broken everything down and simply couldn't be bothered doing it all again. The competition doesn't allow for editing of photos, only adjustments such as balance and levels, so they were left in.

While I didn't win, I'm pretty happy with the result. I've definitely learned a few things along the way, and managed to make it into the top 10 runner-up entries. On one hand, I think it may have been better to have adhered to the Keep It Simple, Stupid rule of thumb, and possibly pulled off a better photo with something I'm more familiar with, but I wouldn't have learned much, which is more important.

Photographer’s envy

One of the worst things I find myself falling victim to is what I like to call "Photographer's Envy". It's similar to road rage where everyone else on the road that is faster or slower than you is an idiot (and never you), except now it's in terms of gear or what pictures they can pull off.

How do you know if you've got Photographer's Envy, or PE? (Sarcasm alert!)

1. You compare the size of your, er, equipment. Anyone that shoots with a kit lens is obviously inferior and without a clue. Of course, those guys shooting with expensive red-ringed gear just have too much bloody money and probably don't know how to use it, right? Of course.

2. You pixel peep to make yourself feel better. At first glance you might think, "Wow. Fantastic shot!" but hey, they have similar equipment! Better check out the rest of their EXIF data. Oh yeah, they so could have lowered their ISO here. Look at all that grain! Yup, I could've done better.

3. You forget your roots. Those guys with the consumer lenses and anything that doesn't say Canon or Nikon are misguided, misinformed and, well, a mistake. They still take great photos? Well, that must've been a fluke, a mistake. They just happen to do it all the time. Yes. That must be it. Maybe they're just copying the "rest of us".

4. You blame your equipment. The only reason pro-photographers get such good pictures is because they have enough money to buy equipment that pretty much takes the photo for them. I mean, these days with technology, it won't be long before they'll automate pressing the button. If we all had their equipment, we'd be pros too!

5. You don't actually shoot anything. Of course people that shoot a lot get good photos. I mean, shooting thousands of frames a day, they're bound to have at least one "keeper" in there somewhere, right? Who wants to carry their camera around with them and be ready to capture that unrepeatable moment? If we all did that we'd be super-pros!

If any of these relate to you, don't fret - it's quite normal. I think at some stage or another, everyone experiences a twinge of PE, even if mildly. Then again, road rage is apparently quite normal too, until you run someone off the road. Just know, I feel your pain.

Now stop taking better pictures than me!

What it takes to become a professional photographer

I'm not going to talk about business plans, marketing or having the right sales acumen. There are many sites and publications out there that talk about that sort of thing. If you're planning to pursue a career in photography, I'm sure you'll have an idea that these are given attributes.

What I am going to talk about are the three P's that any professional photographer worth his/her salt should have. Before I get started, let's clear up the ambiguity behind what a professional photographer is. Some may define it as someone that earns an income from their photography. On the other hand, I define it as the individual whose attitude and skill towards photography more often than not demands and receives the proper respect and recognition.

Why the distinction between income and something as subjective as respect and recognition? Professionalism is just one third of the package. It is the first P of three. The money-making aspect is something else entirely; it is often the end purpose for shooting. It is the second P.

The last, and possibly the most important, is Passion. Passion is the driving force behind every great photographer. They shoot because they want to shoot. They love what they do. They continue to learn because they love their craft.

It is not to be confused with Purpose. Some people say the reason they shoot is because they love to do it; mistyping this as their purpose. Love is part of your passion. Purpose is the motivation to steer their passion into something even greater. It is easy to be passionate about something without having any real goals.

These are the three elements that must be present in the professional photographer.

The photographer without passion works in and out for the purpose of making money. He/She may be quite good at the business aspect of photography and has the professionalism to work well with others, but at the end of the day, they're unhappy. They're there for the billable hours and then they're gone.

The photographer without professionalism is the overbearing and boisterous one who sees no limit at getting that perfect shot. They love to get paid for doing what they love and may chase high-paying jobs, but often at the expense of others. They will step over you to get where they want to be. They're the ones breaking-and-entering and then selling compromising photos to the highest bidder.

The photographer without purpose loves photography, is great to get along with, but hasn't nailed down exactly why they do it. They may not have looked into how they can actually turn their passion into a business, but purpose is not limited to making money. They may not call themselves a particular type of photographer, because they haven't figured out what they really want to shoot. They don't have any short or long-term goals because they don't know what they actually want to do.

So there you have it. Have a think about yourself and other photographers (both successful and not) and how the three P's are working for them. If you're honest with yourself, it's surprising to find out what you're missing out on to really pick up your game. I know I certainly need some work in one of those areas.