Puerto Natales Pier

New Journal 9 – What’s important in photography

2 years ago today I bought my first DSLR camera. 1 month before that, I had never heard the term ‘DSLR’. 1 and a half years ago, I discovered HDR. 1 year ago last week I started an HDR blog. Less than 1 year ago I made the decision to try to establish myself in the world of HDR photography.

These stats will put me in a negative light to some. Even a few people who follow my work will become less enthused with my photography now. I know this because I’ve already experienced it. For some reason, time is a very important factor for how much respect people will give you.

I once met a chap who was a professional photographer for 10 years. He worked with film and eventually made the leap to digital. He spoke non-stop, almost without taking a breath, about his vast amount of experience and how it had shaped his very acute photographic eye and how he was able to produce stunning HDR because of all he’d learned. In 10 years time, I might experience the same thing, he exclaimed.

When I got home I checked his HDRs out on his blog. They weren’t to my taste but that doesn’t mean they weren’t good. A few months ago he deleted his blog and moaned on facebook that he was sick of trying to compete in a market where no one had taste. He wasn’t getting the readership he wanted. All of his experience, it seemed, counted for little in this context.

There was a time, not that long ago, when I was slightly embarrassed to admit that I was so new to photography and to HDR in particular. I felt inadequate for some reason. Many photographers had blogs before I’d even picked up a camera.

For hours each day I’d watch tutorials and process images. I had a huge list of images bookmarked that really inspired me. I’d ask myself what it was that I loved about them and looked for the answer, returning to these same images time and time again. I’ve lost count of the 1000s of images I’ve processed and tried to improve upon since then.

What have I learned since picking up the camera?

I learned that portfolios speak for themselves. Years of experience could make you a great photographer, I’m sure, but it may also mean you spent years being at the same level, never improving. I never ask anyone how long they’ve been shooting for. I ask to see their images, if they have them handy. This helps me distinguish between those who love to talk about photography and those who can actually apply their knowledge.

I’ve learned that a constant desire to improve and the belief that you can improve will take you to places you never thought possible.

I’ve learned that no matter how much I study and practice, there’s so much more left to learn.

Where am I now with photography?

The short answer is: no where near where I want to be. I can’t see that changing because I always change my goals. I always want to improve.

The truth is, I still watch hours of tutorials. I still bookmark outstanding images from others and try to understand what makes them great. I still process image after image, with various programs, workflows, & techniques. The vast majority I will never publish. They’re just for my own curiousity.

Why do I do all of this?

Because, deep down, while many believe that good marketing is more important than quality content in this digital age, I still believe that quality will always rise, that people will share your work if it deserves to be shared. Until I’m where I want to be in this industry, I want continue to push myself, for however long that may be…or until I get eaten by a shark.

2 years isn’t a long time to own a camera, but it’s a long enough time for you to convince yourself that improvement is a choice.

Today’s Photo – The Jetty at Puerto Natales

Edited differently to the last photo of this jetty, which was more about smooth transitional light and subtle details, this image emphasises strict contrast differences and colour separation. I wanted the three main elements (wooden sticks, water, and background sky/mountains) to all play a dominant role in the image. Because of this, I didn’t increase colour saturation and I carefully controlled contrast adjustments to avoid over-saturation. Too much colour, details, and so many points of interest would have been overkill in this image.

Before the Joys of Post-Processing