5 Truths from a Photographer…

Do you feel under pressure? Now that you’re a photographer?

Or now that you’ve loudly proclaimed to all who will listen that you have a passion for photography and you are going into business? Yeah, guilty.

Truth #1: Sometimes I just want to take a photo like a tourist.

I’ll make sure everything’s in focus, but really, it’s a cookout for crying out loud.

Do I really need to lug along a tripod so I can get good “fire” photos?

Or the low-light lens collection? Which consists of one 1.4 lens, one 1.8 lens, and three 2.8 lenses. Oh, and don’t forget the fourth 2.8 – the FISHEYE! I love that lens and wouldn’t dream of doing fire photos without a fisheye! So that’s 6 extra lenses.

And the bag I have to carry that will hold them all.

The big bag. You know the one. It weighs like 30 pounds and I wind up schlepping it around all night because I’m afraid to set it down. It’s insured, but I don’t take chances.

And sometimes….yes… sometimes I can’t fit it all in the big bag and I carry a second bag. Yes, I am *that* person.

Truth #2: Sometimes I feel pressured to be “working”

and to produce “artistic” and “competition-worthy” images.

And I wind up not enjoying myself. No one wants to be “on” all the time.

I’m thinking of that song from “Rent” – the on that talks about how many minutes there are in a day (525,600) and inside I’m screaming “and not all of them are photographic moments!”

So, if you see me walking around with my hands in my pockets because I didn’t bring a camera at all, smile and know that I have chosen to enjoy myself & would be happy for you to share your cell phone pics with me or your “amateur” camera photographs of the event.

And before you get in a hissy about the above – I’ve had people apologize for their cameras. Don’t worry!

Truth #3: I don’t have the latest and greatest gear!

Right now a D4 costs more than my car is worth. You know? Hey, it’s 10 years old, holds all my gear and is running fine (check with me after this article hits the www, sometimes I’m a jinx like that). It does the job for me. I’m kind of the same way with cameras. If there’s not something actively wrong with the camera. I’m not upgrading unless I have a specific need for the camera and have the extra $. Or I’ve saved for it. Right now I have 3 Nikons and one of them just developed a dead pixel. One. That’s not “sick enough” to ditch in my book.

Don’t be embarrassed and apologize for your photos. I had someone tell me once that “of course this isn’t as good as you” and I said – no, it’s better, I didn’t take any at all!

Truth #4: Sometimes, I worry.

It’s not all happy,happy, joy, joy. I know, I know, but we make money at something we LOVE!!!!

Give me a break. Please.

I worry.

Sometimes I have weird worries that you can’t relate to, especially if you’re not a photographer.

A couple of months ago I submitted a proposal to teach a workshop the title containing “A 12 Step Program”. And just days ago, a well-known photographer released a 10- step program and a popular photographic comedienne  has a 3-step program. Not that either of these people copied off me (seriously, no), but what an utter BAD coincidence.

But… I know you’re not going to “get” that, so instead, I may say “oh thing are just fine!”. Even if you’re not convinced. That’s ok. I won’t bore you with the story.

It’s not because I don’t like you – it’s because I DO. I won’t subject you to my boring photographer-talk all night. After all, I don’t have to hear about all of your escapades as a pole dancer.

Yes, I have a friend that is a pole-dancer. So there.

Truth #5: I don’t like Kool-Aid.

We are not the same.

Yes, sometimes we have the exact same problems. But I don’t believe the exact same solution that works for me, will work for you. I can head you away from the wrong direction, but the answer FOR YOU cannot be determined by anyone else other than YOU.

So, when I teach, talk or write, I try not to hold myself as a “holier-than-though” guru on the subject. I try to give options. I try to brainstorm with you.

I’m not going to say “Do EXACTLY this, and you will succeed!” We are different. What worked for me may not work for you.

So, I can share MY path with you and tell you what *I* did.  I worked my ass off. And to be honest, I could have worked harder.

But, my path may not apply to you at all. That’s okay.

Maybe you’ve already got it figured out in a way that works for you. Fantastic! That’s a “Wootness!” right there.

We’re different. So don’t be drinking any kool-aid.

So, those are my truths. In this moment.

What are yours?