One of my all-time favorite books is a little gem by British advertising legend Paul Arden “It doesn’t matter how good you are, it matters how good you want to be. ” I read this little book about once a year, it’s funny, insightful, and full of advice and inspiration for creatives.
Paul Arden was a creative director at advertising agency Saatchi and Saatchi in London. He is responsible for some of the most famous British advertising campaigns of all time including British Airways, The Independent, Silk Cut cigarettes and even Fujifilm. As this book demonstrates, his genius is not limited to advertising but covers the entire creative process.
I took eight quotes from the book and paraphrased them in a way that you can apply to your photography.
“Your vision of where or who you want to be is the greatest asset you have.”
What is your vision of the place or person you want to be? What is your ultimate photography goal? To sell prints? To create zines? To start a blog or YouTube channel? To become a Magnum photographer? To write for Fstoppers? Start taking steps towards that goal today. Everything else you’re doing is a distraction.
If you want to be a portrait photographer, see what skills and equipment you will need to succeed in that goal. If you’ve always wanted to enter a contest, publish a book, or sell your work through a gallery, outline a six or 12 month plan for how you can get there.
“To be unique, seek inspiration from unexpected sources.”
What can photography from different genres teach you? Probably more than you realize. Research another genre you’ve never been interested in before. If you’re a street photographer, check out fashion photography. If you mainly shoot in black and white, try color travel photography.
Pick up some newspapers or magazines in your local library or explore on social media. What can you learn from trendy healthcare magazines? From photographers on Instagram or TikTok? What do they do well in terms of how they present their photography? What can you learn from them?
“He who doesn’t make mistakes is not sure what he has done.”
Usually, when we make a mistake in a scene, we tend to set ourselves up for failure. Whether we’ve got the focus wrong, set the ISO dial to insanely high, or we simply haven’t taken advantage of our subject.
But failure is part of photography, just as it is part of life. Here’s an interesting reminder: Scientists always fail, they call their failures “experiments,” and they are allowed to fail many times before succeeding.
Next time you have a disappointing set of photos, take a close look at them. What works? What didn’t work? What can you do better next time? Learn from it — it’s all part of the creative process.
“Don’t look for praise. Seek criticism.”
Over the past decade, social media platforms have taught us to expect a barrage of gratifying likes and comments every time we post a photo. Of course, it’s great to hear this, but it discourages the most helpful type of feedback: constructive criticism.
Real value is in asking others how you can do something better. Maybe you should ask a photographer friend’s honest opinion about your work, or what do you do best? Ask them to be brutally honest about your strengths and what you can improve on. It might surprise you, and it could make you a better photographer.
“If you get stuck, draw with another pen.”
Working in old-fashioned public relations and advertising, Arden got this point right. Instead of using markers to create the layout, he tells the story in the book about a time when he used watercolors to create the layout and the client was so impressed, they increased their advertising budget. significantly.
“Change your tools, it can free your mind,” says Arden, and the same can be done for photographers who are in the rut.
If you’ve always taken photos with a wide-angle lens, why not try using a telephoto lens? If you haven’t shot a roll of film in years, find your old SLR and limit yourself to 36 frames. If you’re a die-hard Sony or Canon fan, ask to borrow your spouse’s Fujifilm or Nikon. It can only release your thoughts.
“Don’t be afraid of silly ideas”
We all have mental setbacks, the way to get rid of the deadlock is to lose your inhibitions and stop worrying about being right. Arden suggests two tricks to get rid of creative blockages
The first is to do the opposite of what the situation calls for. That could mean shooting sports with an iPhone or shooting portraits with a point-and-shoot. The second is to look out the window and whatever catches your eye, turn it into the solution to your problem.
“Give everything you know and more will come back to you.”
Do you have an idea on how to do something or solve the problem? Tell everyone. Arden says that if you give everything you know, it forces you to add and find new things.
What does this mean for photographers? Share your knowledge. Meet other people and talk about what you do. Be generous and helpful to others. All in all, I think this is something photographers do pretty well, however, of course, there’s always room for improvement.
One of the highlights of my year has begun Matt Loves Camera’s YouTube Channel. The most rewarding aspect is when people take the time to comment that they liked the video or that I inspired them in some way — very humble indeed.
How can you make more of a difference with the knowledge you have?
“You are magic.”
In the book, Arden explains that you shouldn’t give your work to a supplier in the hope that they will create a miracle for you, rather, you are the miracle itself.
The same can be said about photography: don’t expect a new camera, new lens, or location to work wonders on its own. I’ve seen some pretty ordinary photos taken with some very expensive cameras, and I’ve seen some exceptional photos taken with a camera that most people wouldn’t touch with a barge.
Remember: Friend is magic!
