Life is hard and it is even harder if you're a photographer.
We live in a world, thanks to camera phones, everyone is a photographer now. Going to school for photography is expensive, camera gear is expensive, the competition is even bigger than ever, and there is so much to learn.
You may feel discouraged by other photographers either just by looking at their work on Instagram, by their high quality camera gear, or maybe they are just snobs.
As a photographer myself, I definitely have felt all these feelings and the best advice I ever got was this.
Quit your excuses and go shoot some photos!
It is true! You are not going to get any work done or progress in your work if you just sit around, complain, and do nothing!
2. Going to school for photography is so expensive!
YOU DON'T NEED TO!
There are so many photography focused YouTube channels like Mango Street, Peter Mckinnon, and so many more that teach so much about photography. I've learned so much about photography from Peter Mckinnon this past year than I did when I took photography classes in high school.
3. My Gear Isn't Good Enough
Your gear does not make your work good! You can find old DSLRs for a pretty cheap price and they can take amazing photos! For the past two years I've been shooting photos on a Canon T2i that cost me $330 and use a $150 50 mm 1.8 lens and I've been able to create photos that have received a lot of positive feedback. The IPhone's camera has gotten so good in the past 3 years that you can really use it like a DSLR. I've seen so many great photos that were taken on cheap cameras and I've seen photos that were taken on $5,000 camera and a $1500 lens that just look...meh.
Don't believe me? Watch this video by Mango Street and you'll see for yourself
It's Not About the Gear | We Shot with Cheap Cameras to Prove It
4. This other photographer is so much better than me
There is always going to be someone better than you. There is always going to be someone better than me; Brandon Wolfel and Peter Mckinnon are always going to be better than me and I believe both Peter and Brandon think some other photographers are better than them. Other photographers should inspire you to keep shooting and trying to improve your skills as a photographer.
5. Software is so expensive!
That is very true. However, Adobe now has the creative cloud! You basically pay a subscription fee and you are able to use ALL of Adobe's software like Photoshop and Lightroom which is pro software! Pretty much anyone can get this software nowadays! (Also this is not an ad. Adobe did not pay me to write that. I pay Adobe. It's a reverse ad)
6. I just don't think my work is good
The old saying is "You are you're own worst critic" so you're always going to be hard on yourself. If you're just starting out, you're supposed to suck! That's how you learn! Take as many crappy photos as you can so you can take AMAZING photos down the road.
7. I don't know what to shoot
Don't overthink it! Just shoot everything! Shoot landscapes, night photography, portraits, cityscape, interior, concert, etc. Don't limit yourself!
8. I don't know what style would fit me
Don't focus on that. Just focus on what makes your photos look best in post.
I just don't have time
Make time. If photography is what you want to do and what you're passionate about then you'll make time for it.
Gary Vaynerchuk said it best "Quit Complaining. You're in total control." Quit whining and coming up with excuses. Go out and take some photos.
