One of the mistakes that a lot of photographers I’ve seen make is that after taking a few courses on lighting and composition and snapping the shutter some tens of thousands of times, they assume they’ve learned all they need to and are ready to succeed in the world of professional photography. Nothing could be farther from the truth in my opinion. There’s so much more to photography than having the latest gear, spot-on composition techniques, or top-notch lighting: don’t forget that even a monkey can learn how to light.
“So what else do I need to learn about photography in order to succeed?” Well, that’s a tough question to answer because you’re the only one who can come up with the answers in the end. For myself, I learn from photographers who are better than me by reading their blogs (I’m subscribed to 4), having them mentor me, and looking at countless amazing photos on a regular basis. There is definitely one thing, however, that all photographers need if they hope to get somewhere.
You have to have a Vision.
I learned this fact from David duChemin more than any other photographer. His blog is probably my favorite one to read because instead of being exclusively a blog that teaches you all about the latest gear, many of his entries are just full of wisdom that will nourish the soul of any aspiring photographer.
Take this post for example where he speaks about… well I’ll you read it for yourself.
