There’s been a lot of drama going on in the photographic industry. Much more than usual, and much nastier than I’ve ever seen it.
Can we just be drama-free for a second, while I offer a suggestion?
Let’s stop. Let’s forget mud-slinging and name-calling. They’re not doing anyone any good. Being mean and hurtful won’t get anyone’s money back.
Let’s agree to live life with cash — meaning, if that $750+ workshop is awful, it won’t mean more credit card debt. Just chalking one up to experience.
Let’s stop relying on one person, event, day, or workshop to reveal our own vision to us. You find vision, refine your style, and generally learn more about yourself by stepping into the world with your camera. Not your camera and a mentor and 22 workshop attendees. Your vision lives in the part of you that is quiet and still, the part that cannot be denied or manipulated and that does not respond to seeing x or y photographer in person any more or less than it responds to a sunset.
Let’s stop copying one set of post-processing tricks, ideas, or tips to get to a better end product in our photography.
Let’s explore on our own, innovate, and stop consuming blogs like they’re going to make us anything but prone to copy-cat-edness.
Let’s remember that photography is precious and powerful.
For an example, watch this video:
The photography of Jonathan Canlas, the funeral of Natalie Norton‘s baby son, Gavin. I dare you to be worried about who said what about whom after watching.
Let’s forget the drama and let our work — and our lives — shine.
For the record, I still heart workshops and learning. I’m attending Jonathan’s Park City workshop in October. And I paid cash.
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