Being Honest With Yourself Pays In Photography

"Wow! you are a photographer!?! That is such a cool job! Do you shoot weddings!?! Can you shoot my head shots!?! Have you photographed any famous people!?!" These are all questions we have heard as photographers as the spectrum of our profession is so wide.

Many of us love making cooing noises to catch a baby's precious smile in front of the lens, or have chosen to fill our weekends with great events to create gorgeous shots. Some of us may even prefer to make portraits of camera-shy executives for the cover of regional magazines on ticking deadlines. These may all be very exciting photographic scenarios to some, but could send other photographers packing.

We all have different personalities, varying passions, and our own distinct view of the world surrounding us. This makes the world of photography wonderfully vast where we can all find success. The key is discovering your special path while being honest with yourself, figuring out your strengths and weaknesses, and finding a way to pursue and create a career that you truly love.

Musician Butch Walker

What kind of photography you are interested in... let's be honest... what you are good at ?

I know, I know, you imagine being a celebrity rock star photographer or the next Nigel Barker shooting a fabulous "top model" that may introduce you to your next date, but come on, it's never gonna work if you suffer from severe bouts of "star struck" syndrome or "I want to date all of my subjects" syndrome. However, if you are in full control of your urge to ask for autographs or can simply admire the beauty of your subjects from behind the lens, you might want to start working towards that "high profile photographer" dream. Regardless, it will always take a ton of hard work and dedication. Making sure you are being realistic about what your personality offers the genre of photography you wish to enter will give you a head start. Remember, grumpy old dudes don't make the best Sears Portrait Studio photographers, and those who suffer from social anxieties may find more success shooting landscape or still life ;)

Don't know what type of photographer you want to be or even where to start? Research the web for ideas, it is vast with inspiration. Work with/assist a wide range of photographers to figure out where your strengths are, and how you envision yourself working. This is exactly how I found my passion for editorial portraiture. Take their criticism openly, they have experience under their belts and have been at it much longer. Learning and working through your mistakes with their guidance is invaluable.

Chocolatier Kristen Hard of Cacao

Get to know yourself as a photographer. What are your limitations and how can you work past them?

Once you get a better idea of where you want to go with your work it's really important to be aware of your technical and creative limitations. There is definitely a learning curve in bringing these aspects of your work together, and finding a balance is key. Having the best ideas will not matter if you cannot execute them technically. Photographers who are drawn to the more technical qualities of photography may struggle with the conceptual side and vice versa. Knowing which side of the fence you fall on will help you to make a conscious effort to improve your work, allowing you to constantly challenge yourself.

How do you know which side of the fence you are on?

If you constantly feel as if the ideas in your head are not translating into your work you may need to brush up on some technical skills. Any photo you can imagine in your minds eye can be created once you build up your technical arsenal. Knowing which tools to use and how to use them is integral in creating any image.

On the other hand, you may feel you have a handle on the tech aspects but you find other peoples' photos are much more interesting or engaging. Regardless of your limitations, begin challenging yourself! Give yourself assignments that will force your growth as a photographer.

A great technical self assignment could be to research inspiring images and begin to break them down technically. Really look at the image and its light sources. Investigate its possible lighting scenarios, and create an exercise in which you work to replicate the image. Ted Sabrese is a NYC photographer I used to work with in my days of assisting. Not only is he a great photographer, he has a great blog, Guess the Lighting, dedicated to these types of personal assignments. Books, websites, and other photographers are also great sources for technical information.

"Creativity" exercises will help you to come out of the cerebral side of your brain to nurture the creative side. This could be as simple as committing to a weekly activity that inspires you. Check out  local galleries, design blogs, musicians, and other artists to keep your juices flowing. You could also make a deeper commitment by engaging in a long term personal photo project. Something that excites you and allows you to think outside of the box or forces you to approach your photographs differently. Years ago, I began a 365 project where I committed to take a different picture in a different way every day for a year. This actually led me to create a photo documentary called the Atlanta Creatives Project that has since blossomed into an arts nonprofit known as The Creatives Project(TCP). It is very important to remain inspired and to push yourself creatively. Personal projects help to develop your distinct voice while allowing room for experimentation.

You owe it to yourself to work towards creating a balance of technique, inspiration, and concept allowing you to create some of your strongest, most meaningful images. Take the bull by its horns and shoot shoot shoot, experiment, read, research, and compile inspiration to fuel your flame!

Baker Jonathan St. Hilaire