Let us count down the dumbest things photographers say. Starting at number five.
Number five: “You must master your camera gear.” Please. It is on-the-job training. You learn the camera by shooting the camera. Nobody masters anything by reading the manual in an armchair.
Number four: “The only good photography is golden hour or blue hour.” Harsh noon light through New York City buildings can make incredible photos. Use the light you have.
Number three: “If you make eye contact, you’ve bruised the scene.” “Eye contact is real.” Getting caught is part of the job. We are out there in the world, not hiding in it.
Number two: “You must shoot manual.” The biggest line of nonsense on the list. Aperture, shutter speed, autofocus doing its thing… that is still you making the photo.
And number one: “Every photo must tell a story.” “You took a picture. It didn’t tell a story.” You saw some color or some shape and you pressed the button. Mock the pretentiousness.
Shoot what you shoot. Have a great time. Ignore the list-makers.
Leave a Reply