If you’re just starting to learn photography, this quote from renowned photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson may seem outrageous or too harsh. But as someone who has taken at least 10,000 pictures, I can tell you there’s a lot of truth to this, and more importantly, the idea can be liberating.
That’s scary for people, myself included, who always want or expect to be pretty good at something all of a sudden. When I’m not good at something, I often wonder if I should do it. Lucky for me, I was under the illusion that I was good at photography years before I started. I feel like I can be inclined towards it and have others encourage me to keep going. In hindsight, looking back at those pictures, not all of it went very well for me. But now, I know that’s not the point. The point is that I have learned and grown. I am developing the ability to see the world through my camera.
Maybe those first 10,000 pictures aren’t all my worst, but I’ve definitely developed the ability to make better “keepers” when I go out and shoot, and those pictures also tend to get better shots.
The 10,000 hour rule
In a Photography Fundamentals class that I taught recently, I talked to my students about an idea very similar to the one presented by Cartier-Bresson. That’s what’s called the 10,000 hour rule. Many people have posted and talked about this topic, so I recommend you look it up on YouTube. In essence, the rule says you’re not likely to be good at anything until after your first 10,000 hours spent doing it. Of course, there are examples of child prodigies and people who seem to have a high level of natural talent, but when you look closer, they all put in a lot of effort and their best usually doesn’t happen until after a considerable amount of time. Maybe their best is better than you or I can do, so we think that comes easy for them. I would say it doesn’t. The whole idea of an overnight sensation is overrated and mostly just an urban myth.
It’s easy to try to discount the rule and look for exceptions. But in the competitive world of photography, if you want to rise to the top, the best way is to assume that you are no exception. It will just take some time and work to get where you want to be. It doesn’t mean you can’t be successful; you may have to work a little harder than a gifted person.
This is the part where this whole idea can be unleashed. For myself, those 10,000 hours behind the camera and those 10,000+ pictures taken have made me where I am today and where I am so much more confident at home with my camera. I was able to create images that people wanted to buy. I have been able to make a living with the camera for a few years and I have also had the opportunity to teach others a few things that will help them hopefully do the same.
There’s always more to learn, and I know I’ll never quite get there. I’ve always imagined myself as someone who cleans things up quickly. And while there may be some truth to that, what I’ve discovered over time is that thanks to the work I’ve done so far, I can now make better use of any natural talent. which I have. Quick research can only take you so far.
So if you are a beginner in photography, take it to heart. You don’t have to expect to be great, or even very good, right away. It’s a learning process and you’re still building on that experience and probably still working on those first 10,000 photos. You are free to make mistakes and even fall on your face. You are free to your work is not great. Every photo you take is just adding to your experience and it’s another shot closer to your first 10k.
The great thing about learning photography in this day and age is that it will probably take you less time to take those 10,000 pictures than it would for me with all the movies that I shoot at 36 or 24 exposures at once. . Doing the math, this is somewhere in the region of 300 reels, more than that if you count all the medium format reels. You can also throw in a few 4×5 panels to boot. Plus, learning today, you’ll get instant feedback on the rear LCD while you’re still in that position instead of having to wait for your film to be processed in the lab.
Our society may tend to value talent. Some of us may even have become discouraged from pursuing certain careers in life because we seem to lack that natural talent. And while there is certainly a place for natural talent, you can also get where you want to be with time, experience, and a willingness to learn. So get out there and shoot.
