Muki.Dorifuto.com Photography talk with random tangents into the unknown

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.

How to improve your photography

Whether you're someone that has been shooting for a while, or has just gotten into the game, sooner or later you're going to wonder how to improve your craft.

First and foremost, you must practice. If you don't want to hear this, then ask yourself whether you really enjoy photography at all.

If your camera is sitting around most of the time, you're not getting any better. If you're shooting every day and you don't find yourself getting any better, then you're not reviewing what you're shooting, or you're not practicing the right sort of stuff!

Shooting in a different environment to what you're used to is a way to get yourself out of your comfort zone. If you shoot predominantly in natural light, take on the challenge of low-light photography. Different environments will force you to think differently about how you shoot.

On the same line of thought, shoot some new subjects. If you're always shooting portraits, think about shooting something out of the ordinary. Panning doesn't have huge applications outside of (motor)sports, but could it be used on someone on a swing? You'll need to shoot other subjects and learn how to employ techniques traditionally reserved for those subjects before you can nail these shots off the bat.

Set yourself some new challenges. Pick a theme to shoot over a comfortable period. How many different ways can you find to shoot the same subject? Pick your "weakest" lens and learn where its greatest strengths lay. Think you already know where? Then create a gallery that shows it.

Lastly, because it's so expensive, you may want to upgrade or change your gear. I recommend doing this after you've come to terms with what you can currently do with what you have. If you're consistently frustrated by the limitations of your equipment, you should first figure out to what extent you can minimise their weaknesses. Sometimes, with a well planned arsenal of lenses, there isn't a need to upgrade or replace, but instead you should look for something new and different. Fish-eye lenses, a tele-converter, some filters or perhaps different flash equipment may change the way you view shooting.

So you've practiced, you've set yourself challenges, you're tried shooting in many different ways, but you're not sure if you're getting any better.

Review your past photos. Would you consider your older "keepers" to still be so? Or has your standard been raised? How many keepers do you come out with at the end of a shoot? Is the rate improving? Just don't fall into the trap of lowering your standards to increase your keeper rate.

When reviewing your photos, look at the ones that didn't quite turn out. Look at your shooting settings. Why didn't they make it? Was your shutter speed too slow? Could you have had any better shooting settings? Why didn't you make them? If you find yourself noticing that the only reason they're not turning out is because you're at the limits of your hardware, then perhaps upgrading your equipment is justifiable.

Conversey, go back to your old equipment and see if you can take the same photos. Are they better than when you previously used your old gear? Be painfully aware at this point if the only reason the photo is good is because of your gear, then you know what makes the better photographer. Does that mean you need to improve your photography? Sure is. This is why I recommend upgrading equipment as the last resort.

Start practicing!