Getting to grips with the fundamentals of photography, such as camera and exposure control, composition, and relating a story, is essential. Sadly, there are other factors that get in that cause you to fail. Here’s why it is important to break free of those and become a successful photographer.
Identifying the Barriers to Successful Photography
Before considering what a successful photographer is, it’s useful to look at what they are not.
There is a man with a camera who I know who is very well-balanced; he has a chip on both shoulders. He’s always raging at photographers, denigrating them, and criticizing their photography. Others tell me that he is always slating both my photography and articles behind my back.
Instead of putting in the effort to improve his work, he spends his time trying to pull others down to his level. However, the truth is that he is unhappy, and he believes that the only way to improve his lot is to attack others. That doesn’t work, and so, he becomes more miserable as a result.
In the years I have known him, he has been stuck in that vicious circle of failure resulting from his attitude. Meanwhile, many others have gone on to much greater success than he will ever achieve. As time passes, he becomes more bitter and belligerent as a consequence. He cannot see that it is his mindset that causes him to fail. That attitude also alienates him from others as he inevitably gets back what he gives and is unlikely to get support.
It’s not an uncommon story; we’ve all come across lots of people like that. Many take that lazy path of attempting to undermine others without seeing that it just leaves themselves with a bad name. I haven’t yet met anyone who is full of vitriol and has an ounce of talent.
How to Be a Photographic Success
Conversely, I haven’t come across any successful or skilled photographers or artists who are full of bile. There’s an inspirational and successful photographer I occasionally meet who is always encouraging me, and I, her. There’s always an unspoken race between us to see which of us can say something complimentary about the other’s work first. She’s always helping others and praising their work. Similarly, every good artist, musician, and photographer I’ve ever met has treated those who are working their way up the never-ending ladder of success with friendliness and support.
If I had the opportunity to promote the work of either of those two people, which would I choose? I am sure you can work out which.
Surrounding yourself and interacting with positively motivated people will rub off on you, as will mixing with people who support your ambitions. Actively being positive about other people’s art will reflect on your work too.
Should You Sit Back and Take the Malicious Venom That’s Aimed at You?
The answer to that question is no. Avoiding negativity doesn’t mean not challenging those who spread it. The temptation is to say “Yeah, whatever!” and walk away is always there, and many advise us to rise above it. However, those who post snarky comments are bullies, and I believe we should stand up for ourselves as it makes them less likely to attack other photographers.
You’ve Abandoned Negativity, So How Do You Join the Circle of Success?
Success is a multifaceted thing that may mean financial reward to some and emotional satisfaction to others. I’ve met those who think that success in photography is having thousands of followers on social media, while others are more satisfied with a slap on the back from an established professional. Maybe, it is just being able to produce photos you are proud of or perhaps winning a prize at your camera club. It’s all about achieving your aspirations.
1. Set a Photographic Goal
Of course, to reach your goals in photography, you must first have some to aim for. I have a dislike of modern acronyms used in business, but there is one that works, and that is SMART. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. I won’t go into the full details of those because those titles are self-explanatory, and there are dozens of psychology websites with pages dedicated to those if you want to learn more.
2. Embrace Positivity in Your Photography
Being positive about your life, including your photography, is transformative and will lead you towards success.
We all have our ups and downs, but being positive means looking for solutions to problems and anticipating that you will find them. You will expect things to work out well. This isn’t just a magic wand you wave and sitting there waiting for it to happen, nor is it an airy-fairy idea. Positivity is being optimistic, and that means that you must believe it’s worth making the effort to work towards those SMART goals.
3. Using Personal Growth for Success
Writing for a respected photography publication was a goal of mine. The only way to get good enough was to practice. So, I started writing photography articles for a local paper. I wasn’t paid for it, but it raised my profile; I got a lot of clients because of it. Also, my writing improved. When I look back at some of my early articles, I can see how much my skills have got better. As a result of that work, and the work I did improving my photography, I was offered a writer’s position at Fstoppers. Now, I get offered other writing work. If hadn’t put in that hard graft, it wouldn’t have happened.
I’ve had some other photographic successes recently that didn’t occur by my sitting back and assuming they will happen. It meant going out and experimenting with different techniques, investing in training and the relevant equipment, and believing I could do it. I’ve had similar experiences throughout my life. Things haven’t always gone as planned, and the reality hasn’t matched my expectations. However, treating them as life experiences instead of failures helps me to move on to the next adventure.
4. Find Fulfillment
Fulfillment is very much tied to positivity and happiness and is very much a measure of success for many.
I often hear that fulfillment is tied to working hard. I think that is balderdash. It isn’t just about working hard, it is achieved by working hard at something you love and surrounding yourself with like-minded people.
I’ve worked hard for a dreadful employer in a toxic environment, and it brought neither happiness nor fulfillment. My back-stabbing boss didn’t acknowledge my successes but lied about me behind my back and set me up to fail. I still hear stories from the same organization of others experiencing the same.
I escaped that and instead surrounded myself with positively motivated people who also wanted to succeed.
Even more fulfillment comes when I share what I have learned with others. If I run workshops and at the end, the participants can take better photos, or if I reply to a client’s email question about how to achieve a certain effect, then it feels good.
5. Experimenting to Become Successful
For me, one of the best bits of being a photographer is being out at dawn with my camera and capturing a seascape with the sunrise, or an eider stretching its wings. It helps boost my mood and makes me feel more positive. That positivity gives me the courage to try something different. If it doesn’t work, I learn from that and try again until I succeed. That success leads to more positivity, and that encourages me to go out and take more photos.
6. Practice Photography to Get Better Physical and Mental Health
I am lucky to be alive and have had some close shaves with the Grim Reaper a few times throughout my life. Fortunately, I am still here and relatively fit, if a little worn and scarred around the edges.
The great thing about photography is that it helps to keep us healthy by continuously moving. Furthermore, it is a mindful exercise, distracting us from the woes of everyday life. Creativity has been shown to reduce stress and improve mental health. Likewise, getting outdoors into nature does so too. This is also a feedback loop in that improving our mental health drives creativity.
I use photography as an excuse to go for a walk or a bike ride.
7. Get the Big Bad Stuff Out of the Way First
Most commentators on success talk about eating a frog. That means putting the unpleasant and challenging tasks behind you before moving on to the more positive things. Once you’ve got that horrible thing out of the way, you will see it as a big success and the smaller, more enjoyable jobs are how you spend the rest of the day.
Having said that, I really love getting up early and being out at dawn with my camera. For me, that’s definitely not eating a frog.
Are You a Successful Photographer?
Are you a successful photographer? Do you find yourself attracted to negativity and failure? Do you practice, put in hard work, and support others, or are you sniping at those who see more success than you do? Do you get widely praised for your photography by respected photographers or just by your mom? It would be great to hear your thoughts in the comments.
