As a photographer you can NEVER stop learning. This is true in a lot of professions. You would never want your surgeon to hold onto techniques from the dark ages as medical science keeps moving forward. Now I’m no doctor, but I do want to be the best at my craft that I can be. So here are a few thoughts to ponder:
- Try new things – don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone.
Street photography has never been my thing, but I went to NYC with my cousins and tried. Still not my thing, but it taught me to appreciate how hard it is. - Ask for Constructive Criticism – and take it with grace and gratitude.
Do not take offense – learn from it. It is never easy to hear criticism of your work. Remember you can only get better with the input given. - Put your ego away – there is nothing worse than a photographer snob.
And I have known some doozies! You will look at their work and wonder how can they not see what you (and everyone else) sees? - Learn editing restraint. When using sliders to edit, pick your number, and then back off a little.
There is nothing worse than over-saturation or clarity! Other photographers know the tricks, so don’t try to say you didn’t, when we can obviously see you did. - Remember, Art is subjective. What one person loves, another may not –
When you ask for constructive criticism you may get some critiques you don’t agree with, or they might be totally wrong. Even the best of photographers might not see your concept (refer back to bullet #two).
When I was no longer able to be on my feet for long periods of time. I turned my camera towards the things around me. Macro photography can be a lot of fun!
