Navigating the Photography Landscape: Five Key Lessons to Enhance Your Journey

We have all had a moment where we said, “I wish I had known that sooner.” Over the years, I have heard this from many mentoring students. Sometimes, it was even, “I wish I knew that before I took that big trip.” If you're starting your photographic journey or have been on it for a while, here are five things that will help make it a little less stressful and more fun.

You Are You and No One Else

This has to be the most significant pitfall we have as photographers, whether you are a professional or a hobbyist: comparing ourselves to others. I repeatedly see this when mentoring students and hear, “I wish I could be like you,” or “There is this person, and I want to shoot like them.” The world already has that one person, so why does it need another one? The thing that makes photography great is that it is art, and we can use our creativity to create unique images. Every photographer probably goes through a phase where they copy some technique or style. Eventually, we grow and start to flourish into ourselves, creating a distinctive style. Unfortunately, some don’t, and they become serial copy artists. Remember, you are you and no one else, so don’t try to be someone else. If we all take the same images, what is the point of creativity?

Learn to Walk Before You Can Run

We have to learn to walk before we can run. As photographers, why do we try to understand it all at once? Some try to learn everything about photography at once and shoot manually before they have a basic understanding of exposure because someone told them they are not photographers unless they shoot manually. At the same time, they are trying to learn other exposure modes while taking on Photoshop and Lightroom. In the end, they have learned nothing other than the word "frustration."

Ultimately, this leads to frustration, burnout, and, inevitably, quitting. They chose to take it all in at once rather than focus on one thing at a time. I was once asked why I don’t use Photoshop. My answer is that, at this time, I don’t see a need for it in my workflow. That’s a different story now, and I use Photoshop more regularly. Why? Because I need it! But I don’t know everything about Photoshop; I only learned what I need. I guess what I’m trying to say is that you should learn only what you need when you need it, and you should learn one thing at a time!

 Experiment, and Don’t Settle Early On

When I first started, I wanted to be a wildlife photographer. I ate, slept, and breathed the work of Thomas Mangelsen. However, the big lenses were too challenging, and the budget wasn’t there. That was back when there were few affordable options for long lenses. I had to pivot and find something else, so I started to shoot a more accessible subject matter: landscapes. Over the years, I have experimented with other subjects. I have had the privilege of working for newspapers, photographing primarily sports and other stories. I traveled and met Iowa farm families, creating portraits for my project. I look back at all the experiences photography has given me. All this happened because, early on, I didn’t settle and tried other genres of photography, which ultimately made me more versatile. In the end, experiment and find other things to photograph because what you think is your dream genre might not be your ultimate dream. You wouldn’t know if you didn’t experiment and settle early on.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

I always receive comments from mentoring students where they are embarrassed or feel guilty about their lack of knowledge. This comes from the pressure of other photographers or clients expecting that they should know everything. I always say, you don’t know what you don’t know! You can’t expect to know everything in a few years. Photography is a lifetime of learning—well, it should be! You can’t fix what you don’t know is happening.

Learn to Be Technical and Stay Creative

No matter what you do, you have to be technical. At the same time, you still need to be creative and create unique images! Being technical and creative is a balancing act. If you're too technical, you can cage yourself in, resulting in rigidity and loss of creativity. If you're not somewhat technical, you get sloppy. Things that are easily fixed in the camera with a flick of a switch or two now become more post-processing time and the occasional loss of an image. Learning the delicate balancing act between creativity and being technical will take time. At the beginning of your photographic journey, when you first start, you are the most creative. We know little to nothing about being a technical photographer. That’s a great thing because we are curious, and we experiment. We don’t overthink the mechanics of photography, and we go around creating images!

Ultimately, these are just a few things that will help you start your journey toward becoming a photographer. If you're a seasoned photographer, these may be a good reminder! I must remember that I still need to be technical, but it's okay to have that creative freedom and experiment. If you have been on your journey for a while, what tip should anyone starting their journey know?