our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.
- ralph waldo emerson
i feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many who truly inspire me...friends, family, peers. and this weekend was particularly so. cheryl jacobs nicolai was here, from denver, teaching a workshop for a small group of us. inspiring us. encouraging us to be ourselves in pursuing our passion and dreams. through the ups and downs...to never forget why we started photography.
if you have not read what cheryl wrote, regarding "advice for aspiring photographers", i posted it below. i keep it printed and read it often.
I get asked all the time, during workshops, in e-mails, in private messages, what words of wisdom I would give to a new and aspiring photographer. Here's my answer.
- Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don't look outward for your style; look inward.
- Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. It's like money; you only have it when you don't need it.
- Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically. You cannot build your sense of aesthetics on a consensus.
- Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself and your clients. Turn down jobs that don't fit you, say no to overbooking yourself. You are no good to anyone when you're stressed and anxious.
- Learn to say "I'm a photographer" out loud with a straight face. If you can't say it and believe it, you can't expect anyone else to, either.
- You cannot specialize in everything.
- You don't have to go into business just because people tell you you should! And you don't have to be full time and making an executive income to be successful. If you decide you want to be in business, set your limits before you begin.
- Know your style before you hang out your shingle. If you don't, your clients will dictate your style to you. That makes you nothing more than a picture taker. Changing your style later will force you to start all over again, and that's tough.
- Accept critique, but don't apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work. Implement only what makes sense to implement. That doesn't make you ungrateful, it makes you independent.
- Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve. It may seem like a good idea to call your business "Precious Chubby Tootsies"....but what happens when you decide you love to photograph seniors? Or boudoir?
- Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.
- It's easier to focus on buying that next piece of equipment than it is to accept that you should be able to create great work with what you've got. Buying stuff is a convenient and expensive distraction. You need a decent camera, a decent lens, and a light meter. Until you can use those tools consistently and masterfully, don't spend another dime. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you've outgrown your current equipment and you're being limited by it. There are no magic bullets.
- Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection.
- Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place. Excellent technique is a great tool, but a terrible end product. The best thing your technique can do is not call attention to itself. Never let your technique upstage your subject.
- Never compare your journey with someone else's. It's a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never "arrive". No one ever does.
- Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacency.
- Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai
if you ever have the opportunity to attend one of cheryl's workshops, do it. and if you haven't seen cheryl's work before, you can see it here. be sure to check out her work and play sections. and yes, cheryl shoots film (something i'm hoping to dabble in in the very near future).
here's a couple shots from this past weekend, while visiting laguna beach with my kids and cheryl. we had such a blast (although the $14 mojitos were a bit much ;-) and the beach is amazing to shoot at. wish i lived closer.
p.s. click on the photo to see how it's supposed to look. for some reason, when my images resize for my blog template, they appears less contrasty. grrr! have i mentioned that i can't wait till i get my butt in gear and get my new blog launched?!!
- ralph waldo emerson
i feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many who truly inspire me...friends, family, peers. and this weekend was particularly so. cheryl jacobs nicolai was here, from denver, teaching a workshop for a small group of us. inspiring us. encouraging us to be ourselves in pursuing our passion and dreams. through the ups and downs...to never forget why we started photography.
if you have not read what cheryl wrote, regarding "advice for aspiring photographers", i posted it below. i keep it printed and read it often.
I get asked all the time, during workshops, in e-mails, in private messages, what words of wisdom I would give to a new and aspiring photographer. Here's my answer.
- Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don't look outward for your style; look inward.
- Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. It's like money; you only have it when you don't need it.
- Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically. You cannot build your sense of aesthetics on a consensus.
- Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself and your clients. Turn down jobs that don't fit you, say no to overbooking yourself. You are no good to anyone when you're stressed and anxious.
- Learn to say "I'm a photographer" out loud with a straight face. If you can't say it and believe it, you can't expect anyone else to, either.
- You cannot specialize in everything.
- You don't have to go into business just because people tell you you should! And you don't have to be full time and making an executive income to be successful. If you decide you want to be in business, set your limits before you begin.
- Know your style before you hang out your shingle. If you don't, your clients will dictate your style to you. That makes you nothing more than a picture taker. Changing your style later will force you to start all over again, and that's tough.
- Accept critique, but don't apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work. Implement only what makes sense to implement. That doesn't make you ungrateful, it makes you independent.
- Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve. It may seem like a good idea to call your business "Precious Chubby Tootsies"....but what happens when you decide you love to photograph seniors? Or boudoir?
- Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.
- It's easier to focus on buying that next piece of equipment than it is to accept that you should be able to create great work with what you've got. Buying stuff is a convenient and expensive distraction. You need a decent camera, a decent lens, and a light meter. Until you can use those tools consistently and masterfully, don't spend another dime. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you've outgrown your current equipment and you're being limited by it. There are no magic bullets.
- Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection.
- Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place. Excellent technique is a great tool, but a terrible end product. The best thing your technique can do is not call attention to itself. Never let your technique upstage your subject.
- Never compare your journey with someone else's. It's a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never "arrive". No one ever does.
- Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacency.
- Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai
if you ever have the opportunity to attend one of cheryl's workshops, do it. and if you haven't seen cheryl's work before, you can see it here. be sure to check out her work and play sections. and yes, cheryl shoots film (something i'm hoping to dabble in in the very near future).
here's a couple shots from this past weekend, while visiting laguna beach with my kids and cheryl. we had such a blast (although the $14 mojitos were a bit much ;-) and the beach is amazing to shoot at. wish i lived closer.
p.s. click on the photo to see how it's supposed to look. for some reason, when my images resize for my blog template, they appears less contrasty. grrr! have i mentioned that i can't wait till i get my butt in gear and get my new blog launched?!!
I always check out your blog for inspiration. I love your photos and what you write. Thanks for sharing. This is such great advice that is sometimes hard to keep in mind. :-)
What a great reminder - something to read over and over as I continue my journey as a photographer. Thank you for sharing!
great things to remember...sounds like a great workshop.
never clicked on the pics before, but yes what a difference in the contrast. (if its possible) they look even better.
Wonderful post! Thanks for sharing.
I have to say oh my goodness, thanks for inspiring, lots to relate to and I'm blown away!
I'm exploring sites right now, leaping from "side thing" to career, I am a photographer.
love your style, reminds me of a georgia photographer I like
love your inspirational quotes, and the list very helpful
love what your capturing with max, I'm totally digging it and saying to myself this is what I want to be a part of because another similarity after reading your bio
I am a registered nurse-peds hem/onc (it was pretty neat, all in that order I connected)
I've never left a comment on a blog that I don't personally know, I'm trying to identify myself as a photographer, you have inspired me, thanks
Your post has inspired me to work harder trying to organise a CJ workshop in europe! Fingers crossed for September.
thanks for sharing this priceless information. I would love to attend a ws of hers.