amateur photography

About two years ago, I used to go about my usual everyday life like most people do, not noticing all of the beauty around me. After I picked up a camera and started taking photos of my kids, I started to see the world in a whole new way. Once you start to see it, you can’t unsee it.

I started to notice how light affected things, and how looking at something from a different perspective could change the whole scene. The whole world seems to be trying to tell us a story in the most beautiful and colorful display. It’s like watching a movie, but it’s all around us, and we’re living it.

We’ve all repeated it many times – it’s not the gear that makes good photos, it’s the photographer. Guys from Mango Street put this claim to the test in an interesting video. In one corner, there are professional photographers with cheap cameras and lenses. In the other corner, there’s an amateur photographer with an expensive full-frame camera and lens. They shoot the same model at the same location, trying to get the best out of their gear and skills. So let’s see who (or what) takes better shots – professional gear, or professional photographers.

The Interwebs are rife with mocking and ridicule, from armchair pundits spouting their views on politics to religious nut-jobs attempting to bludgeon the public into belief conformity. Heaven knows I’ve done my fair share of it (which typically coincides with a depleted supply of Midol).

But, there’s one specific demographic that I frequently see getting beat on, and it’s really beginning to irritate me. Why only one in particular when there are so many options from which to choose? Because…I can’t really tune it out due to my own career choices. I can tend to be a pretty apathetic guy about most things, but it’s when I become annoyed that I start to speak out.

Those of you new to the photography world, whether you joined as a hobby or are a career-minded individual, are under attack. A lot. From Top 10 lists mocking your approach to “experts” shouting about how you’re ruining the pristine world of photography to individual trolls attacking you on a personal level, you take flack from all sides. Heck…you get shot at with friendly fire before you even step foot in the recruiting office!

We are our own worst critics. This much we know. The problem is, photography is one of those things where we have to be self critics to get better. Finding that delicate balance between beating ourselves up and being too easy on ourselves is a problem we have all struggled with in one way or another. But, as Mike Browne explains in the video below, we’re probably making it more difficult than it needs to be. Listen as the award winning photographer and educator dishes out his synopsis on why hating the photos you take is preventing you from getting better and what you can you do to fix it.