What is talent

Rodney Smith is one of my favorite photographers. Here’s a recent quote from his blog:

To say a photographer has a vision is to say the photographer has something unique to say to about the world. Why do some photographers have something unique to say, when so many others just shoot pictures that are general and lacking vision? Most people would say it has to do with talent. Maybe. But maybe not. Maybe it has nothing to do with talent. Maybe it has to do with the ability to express one’s feelings. The person who presents a strong vision has figured out a way to express his or her feelings, while others are struggling to do that. Talent, then, becomes not so much artistic talent, though that may be a good part of it, but rather emotional talent.

Photographer's style

Young photographers are often pressured into an emphasis on individual style, a search for distinction, a quest for newness and differentness. Yet the truth of the matter is that a unique style is a by-product of visual exploration, not its goal. Personal vision only comes from not aiming for it. In dim light, objects emerge from the gloom when not looking at them. It is the same with style; paradoxically, it is a natural, inevitable result of emphasizing subject, not self.

Bill Jay, Occam’s Razor

How to be a photographer

You cannot be a photographer by aspiring to be one, or by learning everything there is to be known about photography. Photographers produce photographs. And many of them. Like every other skill, photography is learned by continuous and dedicated practice.

Bill Jay, Occam’s Razor

What to photograph

Giving specific advice on what to photograph would not be appreciated even if it was possible. The answer is provided by a question: What are you really interested in? In other words: What is it that can sustain your enthusiasm for a long time?

Bill Jay, Occam’s Razor

How to get great wedding photographs

Hi. I'm Justin Hackworth. I maintain a full website and blog here. I think it would be great if you checked out the site. Cheers.

Great Photography Will Always Be In Demand

Once I had dinner with a friend of mine. She made one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. So satisfying. The next day she gave me a ride to the airport and while she drove, I snapped a few pictures of her. She saw the camera and said, “Wow. I bet that takes really good pictures.” I almost said yes, but thought about it for a few seconds, and told her that I was so grateful for the food she made last night. I told her it was so good, and said, “You must have some really good pans”. She laughed a little (thank goodness) and I think she got the point. Just because you’ve got a nice skillet doesn’t mean you’re a chef. Just because you have a piano, that doesn’t mean you’re a musician. And yet, for some reason, lots of people think that if you’ve got a good camera, you are a good photographer.

Earlier this week, I met with a wedding coordinator. He said he is seeing that more and more people are not hiring professional photographers to shoot their wedding because they have a friend or an uncle with a nice digital camera. Luckily, that trend is only seen at the bottom end of the market.

The truth is, great photography is not made in the camera, but rather, like any art form, in the heart and in the head.
The truth is, great photography will always be expensive.
The truth is, great photography will always always be in demand.