Investing in your future
Investing in your growth as a photographer is a huge consideration and one I would advise any aspiring photographer to consider.
I consider myself a hobbyist/amateur photographer and therefore don’t expect too much from myself when it comes to producing photographic pieces of art, however that does not mean I wouldn't like to see growth in my abilities.
How do I learn?
Like most keen hobbyists I tend to take inspiration from other photographers, now there are a few ways that this can be achieved.
Photography Clubs
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Photography Workshops
Professional 1-2-1
Photography Clubs
Most towns or cities will have a photography group that will have a meet once a week where you can exchange ideas and receive critique on your images. You may find that on occasion they will have events in relation to a specific genre of photography. Clubs are a good way to improve your skills but for me personally I find these places often have a few characters that actually consider themselves better than what they really are and therefore can be quite brutal when discussing your own body of work. In addition they will have a particular workflow that suits them but may not suit yourself and more likely than not they will be blind to an alternative way of doing things, often leaving you feeling deflated or disillusioned. These clubs may suit some of you but for me they would be a last resort.
Instagram is a great place to view other photographers work giving you ideas for future locations or even ideas of more creative photography. Instagram was the photographers social media app, however over the last 18 months or so Instagram has changed dramatically leaning more towards its short video format “Reels” This shift in the algorithms makes it difficult for aspiring creators to grow their following and enhance reputations. Also Instagram doesn’t actually teach you anything, rarely will settings or workflow be shared and therefore does very little to help you grow as a photographer other than maybe creating some level of ambition and inspiration. I am a user of tis platform daily but I would have to say in terms of growth I have not learned a lot
Facebook is another social media platform where you will find a vast amount of photographer pages and groups. Facebook groups like Photography Clubs is filled with people that believe they know better then most and quite often are scathing in there comments if you receive any comments at all. What we need to grow is constructive critique we like to be given alternative advice to improving a composition or editing technique not just “love this” or “crap” Unless its going to be explained why someone loves your image or why a user thinks your work is crap, it is of no use to your at all! In addition we have t remember that opinions are subjective and will all differ making it impossible for you to decipher which is good advice and which is not.
YouTube
YouTube is a platform I turn to quite often if I want to learn a particular subject of genre, there are thousands of people out there making short videos explaining how they achieved a certain image. These creators in most cases will explain settings, ideas behind the composition and editing and then show us the viewer the final image often leaving us feeling amazed and inspired. Although I use this platform a lot I do so knowing all is not what it seems. The photographer will produce a 20 minute video highlighting 1 or 2 images they made during that trip at that location, it all seems very professional which can leave you feeling a little subdued due to the face you can’t turn up and take 1 image and nail it every time, let me tell you, neither do these guys. These photographers may well still take up to a 100 images or more that day buy they video the process of the one that turned out!
So yes use this platform to educate yourself after all it is free education but do so knowing what you are watching is not 100% accurate.
Photography Workshops
We are now finished with free education and diving into paid tuition. Workshops are a great way to get out with other photographers like yourself that are wanting to learn and wanting to improve. These groups are usually led by 1 or 2 professional photographer leading you around locations offering advice on compositions and settings to get the most out of your experience and helping to make sure you go home with a few good images. Im my experience the photographer is quite happy to listen to what you feel you need out of the day and will do their best to help, however there could be up to 15 other people all wanting to do the the same which in turn reduces the amount of time and help they can offer any one person. All that being said workshops are a great experience and I am 100% sure everyone on the day will come away with something positive and that your photography will improve.
Professional 1-2-1
The most expensive option on my list is the 1-2-1 typically you will pay for a set amount of time with the professional at a mutually agreed location. Prior to meeting you will have a discussion as to what you need out of the meet and where you feel you need help. Your 1-2-1 will be structured around this discussion. The advice and help you will receive on the day is priceless, you have the photographers undivided attention and they are focussed on improving your abilities your mindset, workflow and to leave you feeling happy with your results and inspired for your photographic journey. I have taken part in two 1-2-1 meets and feel my photography took a huge leap in the right direction after both lessons. The downside to this kind of tuition is that it is not cheap, which leads me nicely to my conclusion.
Conclusion
My conclusion is that we should each take what we can form each of the options on my list but we must really consider how important growth in our hobby is and if you like me feel strongly in regarding improvement then like anything in life it is going to need investment. Invest in your future have confidence in yourself that if you make the investment it will pay off. Personally I was really impressed with the tuition I received and would highly recommend it for any readers.
Please find below a cripple images taken from my recent 1-2-1 with Paul Compton
A Typical view over the tarn at Tarn Hows
Looking down over the treetops with a beautiful rainbow