What does it mean to be a good photographer?

Every day, a lot of people take pictures. While some do it for their family or friends,

family photo albums or in memory, some – as a hobby, for others photography is a

profession, career or vocation. Then, what is the difference between these things? Does

photography as a profession mean photography as a vocation? I have heard lots of

times, "I caught a moment in those pictures!", "Shoot a photo!" or "Taking pictures is so

easy!" Is it? And when a photographer has a one- or two-hour session, changing plenty

of images and decorations, is it enough to create an excellent portrait? Once, a great

photographer Ansel Adams said, "You don’t take a photograph, you make it". I think

these words are the key to understand the nature of good photography.

Look around! What happens when somebody wants to have an outstanding picture?

They try to find a photographer on the Internet, ask friends or colleagues and look

through portfolios and prices.

For these people, to look beautiful, fabulous and luxury is the first, the only and the most

important criterion to decide which photographer to choose. And to look like a movie or

pop star is the best thing, as well. It is a dream! Nobody wants to show their own souls

or psychology, and nobody wants to pay much money, because it is just photography.

It is so easy to do: “Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!” Unfortunately, this attitude makes just a

doer, not a creator, from a photographer. And most of them are not against it. “It’s

business! It’s easy! Why not?!” they say. Is true photography just a business thing? That

is the way how a consumer forms a primitive view on photography as a kind of visual

arts, as a self-expression. And photographers help them. Moreover, most of those

photographers take their models for dolls, mannequins or commodities. Fast people –

fast money – fast photos! We do not have time to think about complex art, we need to

have everything and right now. We do not have time to think about a conception of a

session, a composition of a picture, light and many other things that are important for a

good result. And we prefer auto, not manual, settings, because it is simpler, faster and

does not have to be thought about.

Real photography contains variety of components. It should not be fast or hasty,

because creating something great needs a lot of time, great efforts and hard work

on you yourself. There is technical competence, knowledge of camera settings and

equipment, photography processing, visual rules, composition, light, human psychology

(when you work with people), history of arts and photography, professional intuition

to feel the “right” moment, an aesthetic taste and personal life experience. A total of

these things help you create a picture that could become unbelievable, fantastic, magic,

unforgettable and true, because a true picture is a picture that can touch your feelings

and sense and give rise to your emotions. A photographer must feel his/her model (a

woman or man - does not matter), see, listen to, understand, be at the same time at the

same place with him/her, find the heart’s and eyes’ depth, look inside and make verbal

and non-verbal contacts.

Photography is a stop-moment thing but not only the present. Photography is the past,

too, because the creation process is preceded by hard and sometimes very long work.

Some ideas are born in you mind, your imagination finds something interesting and

unusual in the image of the model. Of course, you need inspiration and a muse, suitable

location and light. And it really gives you satisfaction and pleasure. Finally, photography

is the future because you grow up and go straight ahead.

This serious work needs a lot of time but you can achieve great results. Get ready to

lose your fast money!

It is up to you to decide what way to choose...