I may have made a lot of mistakes throughout my photography career, but one mistake can still affect me today. The question is, are you doing it, and if you are, should you do anything to change it?
There are photographers who choose a genre and then do nothing else for the rest of their lives. I admire these people and I doubt that they are most likely to be truly great in whatever genre they become their devoted followers, but I am not one of them. . I started my journey with the camera with a burning curiosity about macro photography, but it didn’t take long before I wanted to try every genre of photography I could find. In fact, during my first two years of owning a camera, I tried macro, wildlife, landscapes, astrology, portraits, fashion, pets, products, sports, and I suspect Some other pictures I can’t remember.
In the early stages of a photographer’s career (I mean photography as opposed to photography), it’s important to experiment as much as possible. As is the case with so many things, the outside look of a craft or hobby is often a little different from the experience inside. That is, you may think you like taking portraits and that they are the type of photos you want to create, but then when you face your subjects and direct them, perhaps the magic has been dispelled. For that reason, for people who just bought their first camera and messaged me for advice, I’m always going to just try anything and everything; From different genres to technical.
However, once beginners have a background and a sense of what they do and don’t like, what’s the next step? To achieve maximum potential and enjoyment as a photographer, how should one proceed? This is where I believe I made a mistake. I continue to experiment with every genre as often as I can, and to be honest, I still experiment with a wide range of photos; I love photography and don’t want to be limited. However, as someone who wants to be a great photographer (I’m not done yet and probably never will), I needed more direction. For the fastest improvement, I need to consistently practice one or two types of photography, instead of shooting anything and everything.
There have been a few times in my career when I have really focused on one genre and the results have been very important. The first example is with portraits, the second with macros, and the third (closely connected with both others) is with the field of watch photography. After a short stint as a photographer, I discovered that the images I wanted to see – and would spend hours looking at each day – were portraits. They weren’t my original intentions in photography, but they quickly became an obsession, and I haven’t taken that lightly. For years, I chose a “portrait of the day” and published it – every day. There are about 1,000 on the Pinterest board that you can find here. I really couldn’t see enough for portraits and I took as many portraits as I could.
The latter is less obsessive and more of a consistent urge. I love wandering around nature to photograph insects, and I will do that most days for at least the first few years as a photographer, despite living in a country where animal subjects taste very few and far! I have a hard drive full of pictures of bees, flies, wasps, ladybugs, and occasionally British spiders. However, I bought an Asian Giant Mantis as you can see above and it has been with me for almost 2 years!
The third is watch photography that combines macro and a brand of portraiture. It was born out of a lifelong love of watches and wanted to capture them in ways that express what I love about wristwatches; ingenuity, materials, complexity, etc. But, why is this important? Well, I’ve never improved more, achieved a higher standard of fire, and gained more consistency than when I was in this tunnel vision state. Orientation and focus increased profits exponentially and I should have identified and exploited that knowledge.
To master a genre, a photographer needs to pursue it consistently, looking to improve at every step. While I wanted to improve, the diverse range of shots I wanted to shoot undercut the ultimate goal of being great at a genre. Looking back at my goals when I first started, this was a mistake. I could still keep experimenting, but I need to be more disciplined and spend most of my time in one genre (or pushing hard, two.) But, looking back at the past decade of photography, I have what can be changed?
I’ve thought a lot about this question – probably too much – and I’m not sure I’ll do the same. I have no doubt that more direction and discipline in a particular genre will make me a better photographer of any genre, but at the cost? My love for photography is tied to the diversity of the profession and there, I rarely get bored with it. There’s also no guarantee that I’ll get any closer to greatness, or that the areas I’ve improved on will yield worthwhile results; more money, more success, etc. However, it’s a path not taken and it’s one I can’t help but wonder about.
Have you narrowed your skills down to one category? Does it pay off for you? Or, do you regret not being more disciplined in your direction? Share your experience in the comments section below.
