“I think 99% of the people think that professional photography is travel and adventure, and they forget that photography is very, very hard work. You’re “on” all the time. Nobody cares about any of the excuses about bad weather or logistics, or how the authorities wouldn’t let you do your job. All that matters is what the photos say, how much money the magazine spent on that time, and whether or not it’s a successful coverage. Most people don’t really want that.”
Advice from Michael Nichols on the question of How do I get published in National Geographic magazine?
When I read this, it instantly reminded me a lot of when I was a retail manager. The associates I worked with may not have voiced it but from an outsiders perspective, I assumed they deemed the work I did as being uncomplicated. I walked the sales floor continuously, I took sale reads every hour, I engaged with the customers and it’s these observations that often led them to make comments on how they “could be a manager too.”
It’s not that I doubted their capacity to become an effective manager but it’s the aspects of the job that they didn’t see the made me wonder if they really wanted to become one. To be a manager, you have to like responsibility. You have to be able to deal with uncertainty and making decisions when you never seem to have all the facts aligned and a lot times, these particular associates would be the type that enjoyed acting the role but didn’t mind for the rest of unwanted burden that unevitables comes along with the position.
I’m not doubting that being a professional photographer is fun but for anyone wanting to pursue it as a career, it’s important to realize that very much like a manager, it’s more than just having a camera and and title.
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Among Attendees at Coffee Common NYC
One of the reason I wanted to attend Coffee Common here in New York was for the learning aspect. I’m not a coffee freak. I don’t roast, grind or treat my coffee making process like it’s a science experiment and it’s not that I thought less of people that do but I was merely oblivious to all the other brewing methods that existed, so it was easy to characterize anything unfamiliar as weird.
To give you a quick overview of what the 3-day event was about, “Coffee Common brought together world-class baristas and roasters with shared values, to create unique experiences that introduced people to the nuanced joys of exceptional coffee”.
I spent the first 45 minutes walking around tasting and being schooled and I dedicated the second half of my stay to photographing.
Aside from the $5 entry fee, all you needed to participate was to grab an empty tasting cup at the entrance and the ability to forget everything you knew about coffee and ask questions as if you knew nothing.
Funny enough, prior to visiting, the last couple of days had been pretty intense as I voluntarily filled my head with constant knowledge that quickly began obliterating the off the mark perception I’ve had about how this warm beverage should be enjoyed.
It’s all really a matter of preference. There’s no right or wrong way on how to enjoy coffee but there’s an awareness that develops once you’ve been clued into the various processes, purposes, results and everything in between about how coffee actually taste like once you eliminate everything we’ve been taught to put into it.
Growing up, all I ever knew about coffee was that it bared an unpleasant taste up until the point where you saturate it with milk and sugar. Almost everyone describes themselves a coffee lover but after today, I can’t help wonder if they really know what it takes to be called a “real coffee lover”.
I’m the typical person that would drink a cup of joe without having the slightest capability to distinguish between good coffee and a watery drink and I believe that’s mainly because taste has always been secondary.
Coffee for me has always served 2 purposes: To plunge my favorite gingerbread cookies in and to keep myself warm when I’ve been out in the cold too long. That’s it. It’s mostly through Shawn that I’ve learned about specialty coffee and thought less about commodity coffee such as the one we all buy at Dunkin Donuts or at the corner store.
Because of the lack of knowledge, I’m probably the last person to ask advice about making a good cup of coffee but I’ve learned that once you find yourself in a room with people that at least have an interest to want to know more about this beverage, it’s almost impossible not to feel that tasting unfamiliar coffee requires a little intellectual engagement about how great it is in comparison to the crap we’ve been drinking all along.
I tasted Colombian, Guatemalan and Bolivian coffee and following some light conversation with the baristas that had prepared them, I realized that a true coffee lover is that person who’s fully aware of the genuine taste of coffee beans and can effectively describe it’s bitterness, it’s acidity and any other foreign characteristic it may have. I learned today that I shouldn’t be afraid of adding cream to my coffee because doing so will not alter the original taste of the coffee bean.
Regardless of where I may have purchased it, it’s no wonder every single cup of coffee I’ve had has always tasted the same to me. It’s because I haven’t been tasting the coffee per say. It’s been the sugary milk that’s kept me coming back all this time.
If it’s not decent photographs that I walked away with from visiting Coffee Common today, I can at least say that it’s a new found of appreciation for coffee that left me satisfied.
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“Go after stories you have genuine interest in. Don’t go for stories just because you think it will impress the masses. Nothing wrong with doing a story about HIV but also nothing wrong with doing a story about what it’s like to be a stray dog in an animal shelter.”Advice to young photographers by Justin Mott regarding visual storytelling. The reason I’ve never developed an enthusiasm for the conventional photo assignments you’re somehow expected to experiment with when you’re just starting out in photography is because it’s difficult to be motivated towards something you have no interest for. Simple as that. Being as how I photograph mostly for myself, I’m at ease knowing that an assignment could potentially take longer to execute as long as it encompasses a topic that I care about in the first place.
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Instagram For December 2011
In continuation with the Instagram Series where I essentially take 12 of my favorite photographs from the previous month and publish them on the site, here’s the snapshots that made the cut for the month of December.
Professional photographer Penny de Los Santos recently wrote about how much Instagram has influenced her photography and it’s inevitable not to find yourself nodding to each statement, specifically when she says: “It keeps me practicing, everyday: it keeps me always looking, exercising my eyes, searching for the nuances; the details in life.”
Find me on the service with my usual handle of jorgeq.
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Lisa Bettany's Trip Around the World »
Not only is the website beautifully designed but I’m just as fascinated with the entire concept and significance of Lisa’s adventure around the world. She’s opted to leave her professional gear behind and will be equipped only with her iPhone 4s to document the journey of visiting 5 continents, 15 countries in 50 days.
I, along with other photo enthusiast had the opportunity to meet Lisa Bettany during the MostlyPhoto Photowalk in New York. At the end of it all, she was gracious to stick around longer to fulfill the request of taking photos with who ever wanted to. I wasn’t too thrilled with how the photo turned out but I at least have something to show that I’ve met her and that she truly is as sweet and genuine as she looks.
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11 Random Thoughts From an Amateur Photographer
- You can’t be oversensitive about your work, especially if you’re just starting out. It’s ok to embrace the memories and feelings you felt when you took the photographs but along with that should come the confidence to share them regardless if they’re praised or criticized.
- Stop glorifying every single new camera that’s released. That can only lead you to think less of your current setup and potentially hinder you from producing something valuable with it.
- You don’t have to know every single aspect of photography to be good at it but you at least need to know how to manipulate your camera to get the results you want.
- Just because you’re a photographer doesn’t mean every conversation has to revolve around the subject. Photography might be what you pursue but having a life outside of it is what ultimately serves as an inspiration for what you do with the camera. Ever heard the saying “if you want to produce interesting photos, you have to first become an interesting person?
- Don’t take offense to people attributing your photographic talent based on the camera you own because it will happen at one point. Let them spend as much as you did on all the gear you own and they’ll eventually come back asking “how come my photos don’t look like yours?”
- If you don’t feel that strong tug inside of you when days go by without photographing, it might be an indication that you’re not as obsessed with the craft as you thought were. Being a photographer is like being a smoker. They can’t go a day without that high, let alone think about how much they miss it when they haven’t touch either the camera or a cigarette.
- As with anything else, practice makes perfect but opting to read a photography book rather than going out to shoot is nothing to feel guilty about. Ultimately what gets you to take intriguing photographs is the manner in which you think and approach situations and not necessarily the tool you use to capture them. Reading gets your mind thinking differently.
- If you’re “friends” with local photographers online, why continue to admire them from afar? I’ve reached out to several photographers in the past, some of which have been more the willing to meet up in one of the many quaint coffee shops we have in Brooklyn. There’s no such thing as strangers, just people who we haven’t met yet and how much easier could the encounter be knowing that you both already share a passion.
- Being a good writer is not a prerequisite for being a decent photographer but it certainly helps tremendously if you have a equal enthusiasm for both. I don’t consider myself a terrific writer but writing for this site has certainly enabled me to better articulate my thoughts both on paper, when socializing and to a certain extent, while photographing.
- Realize that not everyone is going to feel strongly about the fundamentals of photography as you do but the most you can hope is for people to start evaluating their own work after having seen yours.
- If you can’t produce work that you’re proud of at home, what makes you think you’ll be able to do it abroad?
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