Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Wednesday Commentary: Look Before You Leap

Like any learning process, being consistent as a photographer takes time. All too often someone new to photography will leap in and spend a lot of money right at the start, only to find themselves overwhelmed. If you have done that, it's okay, just take it slow from here on out! Start to think of your photographic journey as just that, a journey. Your skills will grow over time, and you'll branch out in different directions as you go. Consider thinking of your journey like a tree.


Think of your first steps as being the process of growing a strong root system, ready to grab any information you can. Learn how to handle aperture, shutter speed, ISO and composition, then you can branch out. During the years of your journey you'll find new interests to keep you growing, while strengthening old ones.


The growing process may have many painful moments, as you come to grips with what you can, and cannot do you'll improve. When you look at your images after getting home, don't be discouraged if they are not as good as you think they should be. Try again another day! Sometimes you need to separate yourself from a set of images for a while, before you can see the value of them. As the old saying goes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel!


As you progress you'll start to fly along, wondering why it took you so long to "get it." That's a great feeling to have, as you open your eyes to new possibilities and skills. Even at that point, be ready to learn new thing and explore new techniques, because the journey doesn't stop till you put your camera away for the last time.

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