A student emailed me a question recently:
I am an amateur photographer. I want to think and work like a professional. What do I need to do to get to the next level with my photography thinking ?.
This is my advice. Let me first say I am in no way a teacher or authority please feel free to add to this opinion or put me right where I make mistakes Darren Thomas.
In the majority of cases what separates a good photographer or piece of work, from an OK photographer or piece of work is:
- The skills of the photographer
- The experience of the photographer
- The amount of preparation involved in any one project
- The equipment the photographer has or can get his/her hands on
A few of the many reasons / causes for you to be feeling this way are listed above there may be many more. The answer is probably easy to realize, putting the findings into practice may be a different issue altogether. One point worthy of exploration is the skills we bring to the table when we undertake any endeavour. These are obviously very important. If we don’t have the underlying skills to call into action we may find it pretty tough. ” Tough yes but not impossible ”
I use the word action above and I think that this is a really important point. Most things don’t come easy when they are worthwhile. We need to invest time and in the case of photography money to reach the desired level of craftsmanship to call ourselves competent. But if we work at it and study the way the professionals work we can learn so much. There are so many sources for us to learn the craft and we could begin with a college or University course. Going to university was the best decision I have ever made and even though I received a 1st honours degree. When I left I was lost regarding my photography career, its was and still is extremely difficult we have to keep at it though and not give up.
Photography resources use them:
There are so many resources for photographers these days its mind boggling. The Internet is full of tutorials, articles and forums. Masses and masses of information at our fingertips. If we want to up the game get hands on experience. Get taking images, use the resources to further our understanding, take more images, use the resources to further our understanding, take more images, get the message 
.
Gain experience:
Once the pre-requisite skills are in place experience then takes over and this is difficult to explain. Experience is like the hidden voice over your shoulder that whispers the solutions to problems based on past experiences. We all have this voice its chattering wont really be worthwhile unless it has a level of experience with which to add its two cents. This experience in many ways comes from the mistakes we have made before, hopefully we learn from them and reap the rewards of the struggle to success.
Its competitive out there:
It is a very competitive world out there and with the advances in modern technology ” equipment and the Internet” it can be mind boggling for any aspiring photographer to break through. But it can be done and you can do it. Today we can advertise our work on personal websites, social forums “wow” now the world can see our wonderful work ” Its competitive out there so be prepared for some very hard work ”
The amount of preparation in any one project :
This I believe has to be the most important point. You can have all the skills, experience and equipment in the world but if we are not prepared to put the initial work into any project, then we can only expect mundane results. If we want our work to stand out from the crowd and believe me it needs to these days to get any sort of recognition, plan, prepare, project, publish.
The 4 p’s:
I call it the four p’s and its my personal system you can read more about it here THE 4 P’S. If we don’t thoroughly plan a shoot how can we expect to get great results? 1) Sketch the idea, communicate with the crew you may need, make-up artists set builders etc. 2) Prepare the way for the shoot, locations, studios, lighting, ideas from our sketches, arrival of the professional model etc. 3) Project the idea now, you have it in your head its on paper you have all you need around you,get it on film. 4) When the results are absolutely excellent and you are thoroughly happy ” and not until ” Publish.
Equipment the photographer has at his disposal:
Well its great to have the resources to buy the latest digital setups. Their quality is outstanding but we can still get great results from even the cheapest digital cameras and setups and in the initial stages this is all we may have. I remember when I used to make studio lights from cardboard boxes and a light bulb, and they worked. Work with what you have got most importantly learn your tools, learn the craft. Build equipment over time. Buy the best that you can it saves buying twice.
Work towards building a great portfolio:
Your portfolio shows your skills. It could be prospective clients or just the local photography club. Invest in this wisely your portfolio is your signature to the outside world. Your portfolio projects the level of skill and craftsmanship you have acquired. The competition is strong, so build the best portfolio you can from planned AND THOUROUGHLY THOUGHT OUT SHOOTS.
To summarize:]
Plan your shoots. You probably start with an idea but the skill is to get the idea into the camera. Its no good sat moaning that things are not going your way, people are not going to come knocking on your door asking to see your work. Get your best work out there on the Internet, your pre-planned and thought out work. If it’s not great but acceptable decide if you want it out there, remember only you know what you wanted to achieve from a shoot, only you know if you succeeded with an image or not. Your finished and successful image may not attract much attention, then put some information out about the image, people may then say ah yes it may help others to understand what you are communicating ” although I must admit I feel myself that if an image does not say what it needs without words, then its not worth displaying but that’s just my opinion”
Use the multitude of resources to understand the craft, become an expert. Gain experience from putting into practice what you read, there is nothing more valuable than experience. Find a niche, get a website, be as good as your best competition, you really can do this. Buy the best equipment you can afford never stop trying, never give up, you really can be the best if you just keep at it. I hope I have covered enough points for you to see where I am coming from with this. My writing skills are fairly immature so please if there is any problems or if I have given incorrect information, please drop me line.
(c) Darren Thomas : Photographyego@gmail.com