Elusive Masters of Photography: Secret Tips We Often Overlook
In a world of photography where everyone with a smartphone can call themselves a “photographer”, true craftsmanship and art set professionals apart from amateurs.
I want to share with you the ten best pieces of advice I’ve ever received from my teachers.
Live and Shoot to the Fullest.
A photographer should live life to the fullest and shoot to the best of their abilities. You need to give it your all, document your life, and create great things using your creativity while you can.
“In photography, there are no borders to perfection.” — Ansel Adams
2. Capture the Ordinary, Making It Extraordinary.
Anyone with a camera can photograph beautiful people in beautiful places with stunning makeup and style. But a real photographer captures us, ordinary people.
“I look for the extraordinary in the ordinary.” — Alexey Titarenko
3. BeTimeless, Not Trendy.
You shouldn’t be a photographer who follows trends. Many photographers draw inspiration solely from Instagram. But the reality is, what’s trendy today will vanish tomorrow. You need to be classic and timeless because that never goes out of style. When I think about my photography, I always think about longevity. How will my photos look in 10, 20 years? Will I be proud of my work when looking back? That’s what I think about: being classic and timeless.
“Fashion fades, style remains.” — Yves Saint Laurent
4. Provide Exceptional Service.
An important realization comes early on: creating stunning photographs and providing exceptional service. Being memorable, fun, genuine, and pleasant, as well as creating amazing photos.
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
5. Monetize Your Creativity.
Remember this: you can make money with your creativity. It requires confidence and talent, but you can monetize your creativity. Creativity cannot be transferred; it cannot be learned. Our creativity has value, it’s worth monetizing. Those of us who are less creative, they need us, creative people, for our thoughts, ideas, and implementations. Creativity is essential in any business, so if you have a knack for creativity, value it and learn to monetize it.
“Creativity is business, and business is creativity.” — David LaChapelle
Your Photography Should Speak. The best photography is ego-less, heartfelt, and sincere. The main goal of our photography is to speak. Shooting without saying anything is even worse than speaking without saying anything. We must speak with our camera.
“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.” — Ansel Adams
Shoot More Than You Think Necessary. There’s no such thing as one shot, one kill. If you capture that first stunning shot and then take another 20, 30, 50, 100 shots, I guarantee that shots from 80 to 100 will be on such a refined, magical level akin to National Geographic. You would never achieve this if you didn’t shoot extensively. Don’t settle on your first amazing photo; it’s a digital image, shoot more.
“Your first 10,000 photographs will be your worst.” — Henri Cartier-Bresson
Astonish Your Viewer. The vision of your photography is the only thing that matters. The hardest part is that we have no control over the viewer. We can’t persuade them; we can’t guide them here or there. All we can do is pour all our effort into the capture, invest our heart, our soul, do our utmost in post-processing, and hope that we strike a chord, touch an emotional chord with the viewer.
“Photography is an immediate reaction, countless times over.” — Diane Arbus
Specialize. This is something I can’t stress enough: specialize. I don’t care what type of photography you do, if you lack appeal, the reason might be that you aren’t specializing in a specific area that people are searching for. Do you photograph clouds? Are you a portrait photographer? Fashion photographer? Street? These are all search terms. An “all-in-one” portfolio doesn’t attract attention. Photographers who draw attention specialize in a specific area. Specialists earn more money, they are more in demand and respected. Specialists define this world of photography. No generalist ever became a famous photographer. Specialize.
“To really see, you have to know how to notice.” — Elliott Erwitt
Create Your Legend. No one is born on this Earth to make us famous. We, the creators, must do all the work, all the self-promotion, all the pre- and post-production. Yes, we have family, friends, a support system, but it’s up to us to carry our own torch. We must ignite our own lights, we must implement our own ideas, and most importantly, we must convey something powerful with our camera without words. Our photography is our voice.
“Photography is truth. Cinema is truth 24 times a second.” — Jean-Luc Godard
Photography is not just about pressing a button; it’s an art, and I hope my tips will help you enhance your skills and perspective of the world through the lens. Don’t forget to experiment, take risks, and most importantly, be yourself. Your unique view of the world is what makes you an exceptional photographer. Enjoy the process and share your works with the world!
