Main confession: I spend most of my week wishing I were outdoors, but when outdoors, wish I were home.

I love flash photography. I love commercial and fashion lighting technique and I feel taking it outdoors is pretty much the only thing that might have a chance on setting me apart from my peers.

The true qualities of whether you make it or not are all there. Thats a quality certainly obtained by Adam. The feelings of “is my stuff good enough”, “everyone is a photographer”, “can i make this work” is why most people never get out the door. The ethic of working hard at your passion is what turns those thoughts off. Pushing those thoughts out of your head is your first key to success. A scarcity mentality will get you beat up and spit out in this industry. When things get tough thats when the wheels should start turning, thinking of new ways of coming up with shots or ways to shoot your subjects that is new and creative.

I def share many of those insights with you adam. I love teaching what i know, i learned because others farther down the road taught me. Its my objective to give that back to those who seek it.

18. I am afraid of flash photography.
in this day in age i wouldnt be so affraid. Digi makes the flash a matter of practice. Its amazing the possibilities with remote lighting that can be done. pocket wizards, speed lights, affordable strobes, its way more obtainable than it was before. As always i belive that it shouldnt be used as a crutch, a atempt to make a bad photo good, but more as a enhancment on a already creatively and technically sound photo. So get your lights take pictures of your cats in your living room, go outside see how far your light will throw, see how far you can get away from it and still trigger it. If you shoot action find some fast moving subjects and have at it. The best of all that is you can see the results in your hands and not waist a roll of film.

Alwasy enjoy reading your blog man. keep it up.

Ross

Great blog! I went fishin’ with your bro-in-law a few weeks ago Good dude and good times. Fishing was slow… Drop me a line sometime. We can wet a line and photo-geek out. Hope you are well.

DB

1. Knowledge of techniques and technology can always help you grow. Knowledge is power.
2. Priorities are difficult to manage.
3. Tack sharp takes patience but is well worth it. It sucks when you see something amazing only to realize later that something isn’t quite right with your photo of it.

I want to learn more about the equipment I already have in order to take full advantage. I want to learn about equipment I don’t yet have so I can continue to branch out. I want to continue to learn about new techniques and merge them with the old ones in order to use when applicable. Technology today could make people think that they can cut corners because their camera or photoshop will do the work. Those that are constantly excelling are ones that still understand and use old time photography techniques while also taking advantage of the new.

Those that have taken the time to learn about their camera, accessories, website building, etc. are doing well in the business. Just learning about the ‘business’ of being a photographer takes a lot of time and effort and many people don’t do enough to stand apart. I am very busy and feel like I am always leaving something behind. Part of this is time management but part of it is just not having enough time to do everything. If I take the trip to the desert, I can’t work on waiting projects. If I board today, I can’t learn about something new. I don’t struggle too much because I always choose what I think is the best for me and my family but there are often many things at a similar rank in priority.

Alex–regarding #12, I think you have to come to terms with who you are and what you shoot as a photographer. In all honesty, I know I’m good enough for a lot of things, a lot of clients, etc. because I’ve seen the results across a number of years of shooting and happy clients. That said, I am always amazed at what other photographers are achieving. It’s a fine line between keeping yourself humble and pushing yourself to grow, and being confident in your own style. In truth, I know I can produce keepers nearly every time I head out with the camera, but really, it’s that subtle questioning in my mind that keeps me on my game.

Kurt–you’re dead on with #6.

Joy–great blog post on your site. You’ve got some great imagery, and I’m happy to have had some influence on your photography. Keep at it!

Rachel, Jim, Henry–thanks for dropping a line.

I should have told you, Mr. Barker, that I channeled your advice for a blog spot I recently wrote: http://joyschmoll.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-favorite-photography-tips.html
I kind of cobbled together something from the Bogen workshop you did and one of your blog posts, so I hope it is somewhat accurate. If you want me to put a more substantial quote, just let me know how you’d like me to flush it out. Or, if you’d rather I didn’t reference you, that’s ok, too.

Thanks for the posts! I glean something from all of them.

Joy

1. It’s wicked hard not to get totally discouraged by all the amazing imagery in the marketplace today, I ask myself daily if I’m chasing windmills. Everyone’s a damn photographer!

2. I love the technology that has made my image making process better, I hate the technology that has made my image making process better.

3. As a “pro” I shoot less of what I love.

4. Wedding photo-journalism pays the bills (at least for now).

5. I suffer from a major case of “the grass is always greener.”

6. Photography is a lifestyle as much as a profession, even if I chose to do something else I doubt I could ever turn off the photographer and desire to be a photographer that permeates my daily thoughts. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

As I look back over this list they all seem pretty negative, which is odd because I’m generally a very positive person and really excited about photography. I guess these mostly just illustrate some of my daily frustrations with the business side of photography. Cheers