Four Photography Essentials

 I have been teaching photography for many years. I enjoy teaching for many reasons, not the least of which, is a simple truth. If you want to get better at something, teach what you know to others. The underlying truth in this statement is that you can always improve whatever skills you have, there is no end to the learning process.

To this end I'm starting a series on what I consider essentials that all good photographers have in common. I'll start off by listing four things I consider an important foundation for building or improving your photography.

1) Look at photography.

So simple, and yet that is how all good photographers got started. The spark, the desire to photograph must come from somewhere, and I would venture to say all photographers started by looking at photographs. By doing this a seed is planted, the thought sprouts, I want to do that, the beginner thinks, or I CAN do that the experienced photographer says. Today this is so simple, no need to travel to an art gallery, or purchase a book (although I recommend both of those things) the internet is filled with photos. Some good, some not so good, others flat out fantastic. Look at photographs. 

2) Make a lot of bad photographs.

When I say this to students they look at me strange, head cocked to one side. But I'm serious. No one starts out with a masterpiece, every successful person in any endeavor has built their success on failures. The key is to look at the failures and learn from them. Each time you try and fail you are one step closer to making a truly great photograph. However, you must study the failures and answer the question "what did I do wrong?" Each time you look at a failure and answer that question you are building a ladder to where you want to be photographically. 

3) Develop a great work ethic.

In life, work ethic is what separates the winners from the losers. The basics are, work every day and never give up. This morning at 4:00 AM I'm writing this post about photography, but I will also photograph today, or I will edit my work or I will develop in my mind what I it is want to photograph next. Whatever I end up doing today, photography will be a part of that. My work ethic is every day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This again, is so simple, if you love doing something, just do it! 
Work ethic is also what you do when on location making photographs.
Never give up. Dedication, the ability to stick with it, call it what you like, it is a must have in any photographer’s tool kit.
As an example, The photo below was made while following a tip, and a request by friends to go to the mountains to photograph a group of monks walking barefoot through Thailand.
I started making photos at 4:30 AM, at the monks base camp. I made some pleasing images, but they didn’t tell the story I was trying to tell. So I hopped in my car and traveled the route the monks were taking. At 7:30 I found this spot. I was 10 minutes ahead of the monks. Time to sweat. Would the light hold?
It did, and my patience, my work ethic if you will, my never give up attitude, was rewarded by having this shot published in National Geographic Magazine. 

4) Get your head in the right place. 

The call it "The Zone" I first experienced it playing high school football. I was a defensive end. Just prior to the ball being snapped everything off the field went silent. I could not hear the crowd. It was weird when the play was over, to experience the sound of the crowd come rushing back in my ears. The same thing happened in the martial arts ring. Nothing existed except my opponent, after a fight my trainers would ask "why didn't you do what we told you to do?" "because I couldn't hear you" was my reply. Luckily I had usually won anyway, so it was no big deal. 
The same thing happens to me while photographing. When I'm photographing an event with a partner or friend I tell them to touch my arm to get my attention if they want to talk, because I'm in the zone.
When I pick up a camera I switch to a different mind set. I'm not just making happy snaps. In my head I'm creating art. I slide into a mode of total concentration, the zone, which BTW, can also be very tiring, but worth the effort.