Jorge Quinteros

On The Topic of Talent

I generally have very mixed feelings about being told “you’re talented”, largely because I don’t feel talented. Talent is the natural ability to do something for which people may think there’s not much effort put into accomplishing something and that’s simply a result of people not always being previewed to what you go through to do what you do.

I probably shouldn’t mentioned this because it’ll influence you to sift back through the first 2 year of photos I shared on Flickr but truth be told that I’m slightly ashamed of it at least from an artistic standpoint. I took those photos because I had a camera and not because I felt there was anything more to the craft.

There was no talent lingering anywhere in those photographs and not to say that there’s much now but it was obvious I have no god-given talent for what I do now. Do I have a much better understanding for what it means to be a photographer? Of course but not because it’s an appreciation that you’re instilled with for just owning a camera.

What I will tell you is that my photography is something I’ve been fully working on for the past 2 years. I say 2 years because that’s how long I’ve felt I’ve been taking this expensive hobby seriously. Prior to that, I guess you can say I was just a guy with a camera and little direction. Who chooses to own close to $2,000 in camera equipment without at least knowing that you’re really interested in taking this “hobby” further than any other typical camera owner would. I wouldn’t. Buying camera gear is one thing but overcoming the frustration of learning how to use it is another and there were numerous time where I was fully fed up with the inability to produce the type of photos I assumed would automatically result from just owning a dSLR.

Friends who have just purchased their first dSLR are asking me the questions I asked myself when I first bought mine. “What the f*ck are all these buttons for?” Pressing them all is not gonna get you anywhere. It’s the interest that I assume you have that will get you all the technical answers to your questions.

The only time I never felt guilty for having spent 3 hours of web surfing was when it involved not so much scrutinizing other people’s work but more on reading how they described their experience and reason for photographing what they did.

I read photography essays as much as travel ones. I hound friends for the opportunity to prove to them that they’re indeed photogenic. I submit photographs to contest. I constantly searched for local events in Brooklyn that give me the excuse to venture out and capture the essence of being there. I tried all different settings. I watch Youtube video pertaining to an areas of photography that I seek to improve on. I read magazines. I often Google “Brooklyn Photographers” with the intent to establish some sort of relation with people that share my passion and hopefully have the opportunity to meet up with them for at least coffee.

But above everything else, I’m reminded that the reason I’m embarrassed with my early photos on Flickr is because I had not yet nearly gone through all the endless amount of work that encompassed reading everything from camera manuals to philosophical articles on photography, to doing general research and mostly importantly, simply trying to get over the hurdle of gear addiction.

So do I think I’m talented. Not really. Do I feel that I’m developing because of everything that I do? I like to think so. I think I would be more approving if someone told me that I’m “developing as a photographer” as oppose to stating that I’m talented because that would at least take into account the fact that I’m “developing” as a result of all the work that I do on my end but that you rarely see or hear about.

The Value of Time for the Holidays

It’s likely you’ve managed to gradually put together a list of photography related items throughout the year with ambitions to be surprised with receiving a few of them for the holidays.

I do it every year, although the chances of my wife surprising me with any of it is small because it’s possible I’ve purchased it way before she’s considered entering a mall or navigating Amazon.

There’s a tradition during the holidays for us where Vanessa and I crumple up 5 piece of paper each, dumped them into our own red holiday stocking and randomly pick out 3 papers from each others bag. Written on them are gifts that we would love to receive from one another but the spin is that out of the 5 that we wrote down, we’re unaware of which one we would get. The problem this year is that I actually don’t want anything.

Ever since I accepted photography as something that represents more than a typical hobby, I’ve managed to amass a respectable collection of gear on my own to a point where I no longer feel there’s a void to be filled in my Kata bag. I’m never against sporting the classic grin that comes with screwing on new glass onto my camera but I ultimately believe that having the right tools at your disposal is the best way to improve at whatever you’re trying to do, so gear-wise I feel content with what I have without yearning for anything more.

It would be easy creating a Photoshop document followed by copying & pasting photos of gear I would want for Christmas but that’s the type of “ultimate photographer gift guide” you’re likely to see throughout the whole month of December being published elsewhere so I have no intention of doing the same.

So as a photographer what do I hope to be handed over that’s neatly wrapped and pulled out from underneath the Christmas tree? Well, it’s not anything tangible. In fact, it’s probably something odd to request but the only thing I want is time.

Improving in anything takes time and effort. The more you put into it, the more you’re likely to see results from any endeavor. If I were to write down all of the sections of “free time” I have outside of my day job and father/husband responsibilities, I would be left with close to little. My wife is extremely supportive and continuously encouraging me to do something more with my photography but regardless of which route I choose to pursue this passion of mine, it’s going to ultimately require time for me to materialize any idea into something substantial.

Needless to say that time is valuable and very often much of one’s energy is spent conjuring up incredible projects in our minds but that’s as far as they go. This “gotta have more” mentality that permeates during the holidays is what I’ve come to characterize as an artistic disease because the momentum and motivation to potentially do something valuable with your camera and talent is stumped by the thought that you can’t perform because you seem to be missing yet another piece of gear in your bag and to brag about.

I’ve made it easy for my wife and her pocket this year. We’re in the process of buying a house so it’s an added incentive for not having to spend on trivial stuff that won’t help me improve as a photographer. The basics, the fundamentals and in the end the stuff that will allow me to get more work done and potentially attract clients is having the time to venture out and shoot. I no longer see the purpose of spending a dime on anything that won’t hustle for me.

The easiest way I’ve managed to attract a decent amount of traffic to this site has been by sharing photographs along with writing about the process that went into capturing them but again, none of it would be possible without having had the time to navigate through a crowded city like New York dedicating myself to capturing people, places or things that are of interest to me.

How exactly can my wife gift me time? Easy. I’m off from work on weekends and occasionally she might be as well and so the simple act of taking care of our son lets say on a Saturday is enough for me to dedicate to an entire day to tackling a project, assuming I’m methodical during the planning so as to make more of my time.

You don’t need for me to speak to you about what steps you need to take to grow more as a photographer because regardless of whether you’ve figured it out or not already, it’s pointless if you don’t have time to develop that third eye, that sixth sense that very often gets you compliments on your work.

Your Photography Enthusiasm Never Lessens

He never got around to manufacturing tees for his popular mantra professing that “Gear is good. Vision is better” but the catchphrase has such influence, that all that’s required is for you to have heard it without have had the option to buy something tangible to prove that you agree with it.

What I get from hearing David duChemin speak enthusiastically about vision is this: Before you even think about what gear you’re convinced you need, you should spend some time reflecting first on what you want to shoot and what you want to say about the subject.

We all have our own personal reasons for making photographs but I’ll assume it ultimately comes down to one fundamental thing. We want to genuinely capture how we see something and hopefully the most compelling work we produce will stem from the things that mostly interest us. I’m convinced that vision is the phase in which thinking about your photographs is just as significant as creating them.

I recently received an email asking why the sudden decline in the amount of photographs I shared on Flickr. The easy answer to that was that ever since we had our baby, it’s become a bit more challenging to venture out as freely as I use to. On the days when those rare moments do appear, the length of time hasn’t always been on my favor which I haven’t seen as bad thing.

Less time to do something doesn’t necessarily mean your enthusiasm for it automatically lessens. Instead, look at as an opportunity to appreciate and seek more value for the days in which you are able to dedicate time to hold the camera to your eye and press the shutter button. Down time is also a good moment to think about what you’ve done so far photographically with your work and what you’ve been daydreaming to accomplish next.

Between all the excessively gear chatter you’ll inevitably come across on the web, it can be very easy to forget what may have inspired you to start photographing in the first place. If it’s to brag about how much gear you own then hopefully the dreadful question of “what should I photograph” hasn’t made you lose your composure yet. It’s like walking into a professional kitchen packed with all the ingredients you can possibly think of to cook anything. It defeats the purpose of the tools if you don’t have at least have the slightest idea of what you’ve always wanted to do even if you didn’t have all those ingredients available.

David’s forth book entitled Photographically Speaking is being released very soon which I’ve preordered already. Rarely will he bore you with technical stuff. It’s mostly philosophical which is what I mostly gravitate towards.

You can bet that even though I may not be sharing as much work as I would like to, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m not thinking about projects that I will eventually take on. As ironic as it may sound, sometimes being aways from the camera helps aligns more your thoughts on what you want to do.

Is Everyone a Photographer?

Have you ever thought in how photography seems to be the one profession where people could instantly join the club purely on the basis of owning a camera? Think about it. Taking a drive to the nearest hardware store to buy a fully equipped tool belt is just as easy as stopping by an electronic store to pick up a camera and yet under no circumstances would I publicize myself as a newly indoctrinated carpenter who could build you a marvelous kitchen set.

The easiness in which one could own the tools is one thing but being able to build something substantial is another. It takes time and commitment to develop the basic and obligatory skill sets to become proficient in something that looks easy from the outside. My wife could vouch for how horrible I am at attempting to put things together, so I see no sense in stocking up on equipment that would make it seem like I can.

To put things more in perspective, how many times have you seen photographs where you’ve immediately ask yourself “how come my photographs never look that way or how did they managed to take such a tack-sharp image under horrible lighting conditions?” These are questions that cross my mind all the time. The gist is that it takes more than owning a camera to be a photographer or at least a certain type. What ultimately differentiates 2 camera owners from one another is the experience one might have over the other.

For the most part, everyone knows how to write and we live in an age where we can easily set up a platform to get our written words out there, so the question is, do columnist and authors ever worry that anyone can pretty much call themselves a writer? And is there a difference between people calling themselves a photographer simply because they own a camera? Just because you can swim, does that make a lifeguard too? Food for thought.

I think if you own a camera and you actively shoot, then you automatically inherit the “photographer” title but the debate on whether everyone is one generally comes up when people think they can start up a business all within 24hs of buying a camera and setting up a website. A quick Google search on the topic and you’ll see there’s a lot of disucssion around the subject.

Writing On What You Know About Photography

Sprawled across the living room couch under dim lights, my wife and I watched Sex and the City 2 last night which I don’t mind re-watching largely because I’m an admirer of the exotic city of Abu Dhabi that serves as a backdrop to the main character’s adventure and because I enjoy spending time with my wife. But beyond the commercialism and over-exposure, we saw a film about a woman that reminded me about something I try to stay true to.

There was a quote in the film where Carrie was anxious and concerned about reading the reviews from her recently published book regarding the topic of marriage. Following a few demoralizing face expressions and a reluctance to read any further, she says to her friends, “Maybe I should have stuck to writing about what I know. Being single.”

The line stood out for me because it’s the same adage you’re told when you have difficulty coming up with a topic to speak or write about. It’s no good writing about things you’re not familiar with because people will always be able to tell when you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone. It would be obvious not only in your writing but specifically through the lack of detail in your stories. How does this relate to photography? Well, I’m a huge proponent about photographers writing more and not just about their work specifically but about their experience in being a photographer.

Self-Portrait inside our cruise cabin with a Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye that I rented.

Nobody has the same brain, the same life history or the same creative perspective as you and in the business of photography, being unique is everything. Take LA street photographer Eric Kim as an example. Leaving aside the fact that he’s a great photographer, the reason he’s been able to aggregate such a well-deserved following within the street photography community is because of his extensive devotion to writing and sharing everything he knows about the genre. I don’t know the guy personally but I feel as if I do perhaps because there’s always a sense of genuineness to how continuously writes what he knows all of which is clearly derived from pure experience.

I can’t write to you about what the most efficient approach would be for tackling a wedding shoot is or how to make a killing selling stock photography because I’ve done neither. Writing what you know means writing with authenticity about thoughts, feelings and mostly importantly life experiences. There’s hundreds of photographers out there who possess the same gear you and I own with the difference that we utilize it under different circumstances and that right there is what makes us distinct.

If you’re ever in dire need to write about something you don’t know, then get to know it either through focused research or direct experience. I don’t know everything there is about photography. In fact, I don’t even know how shoot in Manual Mode yet and I’ve never photographed using a speed light before. 98% of what I shoot is in Aperture Priority under ambient light and it’s these little embarrassing details that I don’t mind sharing because it’s who I am at the moment as a photographer. In a city New York, I could probably instruct you more on how to better navigate through the complicated subway system or direct you towards the best places to eat or which places to visit more than I can ever teach about photographing in a studio using strobes.

The moral of the story is that very much like Carrie, I stick to writing with what I’m familiar with which may not be much but the great thing about the current online photography community I participate in is that there’s people who are more than willing to share their background and practical knowledge on who they are and what they’ve been through to get to where they are as a photographer.

On Promoting Your Work

One vital element I often struggle with as a photographer is self-promotion. With today’s market, learning how to sell your work is just as significant as creating it and yet I don’t always seem to latch on to this simple concept but I’ve taken a few steps towards working on it.

Before I could even consider getting Moo Cards printed, I needed to first be confident in saying I’m a photographer rather than having a 3x5 card present me as one. To me, that was the biggest hurdle; the confidence but once you get over that, most of your pondering would be directed towards finding the answer to the question of “what exactly is it that I want to do with this photography thing”.

The business is saturated with others who are just as passionate as you are trying to make a profession out of this creative outlet. As photographers, most of us simply enjoy the act of creating photos but are sometimes shy about promoting our work. You could have done extensive research on a photo project and spent hour or days executing it and have produced some amazing body of work but if no one knows about you or your photographs, then you’re likely to see little in return from all this time you’ve invested. Do you think you do a good enough job promoting yourself?

I came across this encouraging video on YouTube entitled The Power of Words which I think every photographer should see. Granted it’s a commercial for some online content marketing company but it skillfully reflects this notion that people are unlikely to recognize you if you don’t market yourself correctly or in this case, use the right words. In addition to creative vision, technique, curiosity and good business acumen, I assume that being a photographer really comes down to one main element; being recognized. People don’t just buy your art, they’re buying you but that’s unlikely to happen if they don’t know who you are yet.

I can’t think of any photographer who doesn’t want their photos to be shared and be put to good use. Nothing beats producing good work and I must say that this video at the very least has made me consider taking basic steps towards promoting my photographs a bit more. The video also had me thinking a lot about this call for photographers to write more.