1. Take any and all information people will give you.
You may be a stubborn person like I am, but coming from experience any information you can get is valuable to you. So much happens that we are unaware of when it comes to photography and your best defense is to be prepared when it comes to these things. Find one person to put your trust in, a mentor to help you when you get stuck or when you need advice. You never know when it will come in handy for you.
2. Don't underestimate yourself.
This might be easier said than done, but it's seriously so important to be confident in your work as a photographer. If you aren't, who will be? You need to use your fears and put them into your work. Haven't done something before? Do your best. You never know unless you try.
3. Don't compare your work to other's.
Looking at another photographer's pictures can make you feel very insecure about your work. Especially if you're still learning and you look at a professional's pictures. Don't do it. Don't make yourself feel like you aren't good enough. Odds are, they look at other photographer's pictures and think the same thing about themselves. Someone will always be better but don't let that discourage you. Let that be your reason to work harder and to do better. You're well on your way if you can learn from other people.
4. Taking photography classes? Listen up.
Yes, the hour and 15-minute class can be torturous, I get it. Especially at 8am on a Monday. However, when it comes to taking a photography course, that information could be valuable to you at some point in your career. Your teacher wouldn't put it in the curriculum if it wouldn't. Don't pass up an opportunity to learn something just so you can doze off for half an hour. Take your passion for what you do and use it to keep you awake and to pay attention. I promise it will be worth it in the future.
5. Go on photography adventures.
Yes, homework is important and so isn't passing that class. However, you won't get better at photography by sitting in your dorm room memorizing vocabulary words. Make time to go out with a friend and use them as your models. It doesn't have to be terribly fancy, but keeping yourself active with photography while you're studying it will help you a lot. It's a great opportunity for practice and to put what you're learning in class to use. It's also a great time to let go of the stress and do what you love.
6. Never forget why you started.
I think we've all come to a point in our college careers where we stopped and thought to ourselves "Is it really worth it?" I know I have. It is worth it. I've been dreaming of being a photographer since I got my first camera at 10 years old. Even though it's tough to push through sometimes, I stop and remember my 10-year-old self who would love the fact that I'm in school working my way up to my dream career. Think about every reason why you started doing this and you'll never have a good enough reason to stop.
7. Get an internship.
Or at least try. They're sometimes hard to come by, but if you have the opportunity, take it. I'm currently looking into them now and even though it's scary, it will help you immensely. Aside from learning about the professional side of photography, hopefully you'll find someone who will tell you some of their secrets to success and some of the techniques they've learned along the way. It's always useful to be able to confide in someone when you feel like you don't know what you're doing and to know that they've been there before. Everyone has to start somewhere.
8. Find an inspirational place.
Everyone has one place they can go to when things go wrong and where they can go to escape everything. Find that place to go for your photography. Mine happens to be in Maine. When I go there, I am inspired. This is where I have grown up going and I can think back to all of those happy moments I’ve had there. Nothing beats being able to do what you love in the place that you love the most. Find your place and go there whenever you can.
9. Embrace your differences.
Everyone has different techniques when it comes to photography; whether you edit a certain way, give it a certain look or capture the mood of the photo in a certain way. Find your technique and what makes your photos look the best they can be, even if it makes them different. Often times those differences will be what people will recognize about your photos.
10. Always remember to love what you do.
Often times photography can be overwhelming. Whether it’s stressing about not getting a picture of a perfect moment or editing for an endless amount of hours, we’ve all been there. When you stop working for the night, always remind yourself this is what you love. There’s a reason you enjoy it so much and why you want to keep doing it even after these stressful times.“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
