 Stephanie M. Stevens |
Anyone Feeling Like a Tourist? Do any of you think of yourselves as professionals, but often find yourself feeling like a tourist? I live in Florida, which is probably the tourist capital of the world, and even though I know what I'm doing I always get that feeling of being a tourist. It's hard to explain. Anybody out there know what I'm talking about?
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Forrest C. Wilkinson |
Stephanie, I think that most of us, at one time or another, no mature what our stature as photographers is; have felt over-matched, or under-noticed. I work for a large newspaper, but sometimes, when I'm down on the sidelines of a football game, and I see the next guy with three 1D Mark 2's with Canon L lenses on each, and I'm sitting there with one camera and two L lenses, one of which I use primarily; I feel like I shouldn't be there. It's all a matter of knowing what you do, and that is, photography; all the while, not noticing what the guy next to you is doing. You have to feel confident that you are just as professional as anyone else, you have to be as close to arrogancy, without actually being arrogant and that can be tough. When you blow a shot if your camera back-focuses and you totally mess up, then the guy next to you has five crystal clear photos and everyone around him is admiring them, it's tough to keep your cool. But realize that, although you might have missed that shot, you have gotten many other pictures that the photographer next to you hasn't and no matter your stature, no matter what publication you work for, you are just as accomplished as the guy next to you. I know that some of the best photographers I have ever seen work for small-town newspapers with less-that-the-standard equipment; but they are just as accomplished as the guy who works for AP and gets payed $100/shot. Just feel confident about yourself and your reason for being there, and you will gather respect of the people around you, and the people you are shooting. And always remember that if you are hired to be there, you have just as much priority as the guy that works for AP has. Keep your confidence and may your shots continue to improve. -Forrest
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Bob Cammarata |
We're ALL tourists into another's resident domain,...and vice-versa.
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Stephanie M. Stevens |
Yeah, I'm totally confident in what I do, I just get a feeling that other people think I'm a tourist, I hate that. I think part of the reason I feel this way is because I have a small point and shoot type consumer camera. It's an awesome camera, I love it, I get amazing images with it, but having a bigger SLR type camera makes that touristy feeling go away. :) Shooting with a camera like that doesn't make me feel any more like a pro than I already do, it just makes me feel like I LOOK like more of a pro. It's hard to describe. I FEEL like a pro, I know I am, I just don't feel like I LOOK like a pro. I don't know why I care what the people around me think, anyone who knows me knows I'm good.
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Terri Hooper |
I also live in Florida, try using macro and getting close-up of things we take for granted. for most people, what we see every day is special to them. Terri
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Jason Stare |
Stephanie, First, I don't consider myself a professional. I barely consider myself an amateur, but I've also been accused of being modest. :) My recommendation is to not worry about what other's think. Personally, the last thing I need to worry about when trying to get a shot is what the couple across the street thinks of me. Worrying about such things sends you down the road of self-sabotage and you've already admitted to knowing what you're doing. That should be the important part!
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