someone sent me an email a few weeks ago asking can an introvert become a good
photographer
I'm not gonna name this person, let's just call him john smith.
well this series of photography
they're about exactly this kind of thing. It's about finding confidence in
yourself your abilities and indeed the others around you.
Let me just read you the email. One question about photography that'd i'd
really appreciate your advice on is this can introvert
become a good photographer and are there any ways that you'd really recommened
to become less shy when taking photos in public
I would really love to gain more confidence in taking photos in public,
places
I've watched a few videos on street photography and would love to get to
that level of confidence,
I've signed up to number forums where I can upload some pictures and ask for
critiques
I would love to do photography as a hobby.
however my general lack of confidence is what stops me, part of me feels that i'm too
old to get into photography
in brackets twenty-five years should I have been
brought up with a camera this would be something that may have come more
naturally
I would love to have a good understanding photography
as this could be something that when I get older and plan for family could be a
shared interest
however and I don't feel I can be a role model
if I don't have the confidence to do it myself in a way
I would be watching the game from the sidelines whereas I would rather be
playing the game.
Well, age
i'm too old to get into photography
at 25? well I was about your age when I got my first
SLR they weren't DSLR's in those days, no you're never too old to start
photography
there are people doing my courses right now who have taken up photography in
their retirement
if you double the time you have lived and then spend the next 25 years
learning you will still be younger than I am
confidence is an issue for a lot of photographers so you're not alone.
especially when they're starting out somebody posted on our facebook page,
about this a couple of weeks ago.
Melissa who now administers the page wrote a very moving piece about an
experience she had
when someone very publicly slammed her and her photography
they didn't just say I don't like this, they were really nasty
now I can see from the number of responses we've got to that post how
much this
actually affects people but think about it actually very rare
someone will be openly nasty as in this instance
and it probably sent him something completely unconnected from you
or Melissa's photography but whatever
if this happens to you ask yourself a couple of questions
does the opinion if someone this unpleasant actually
matter what would most people think about someone
who would be so rude and the rubber tree in such a public fashion
I'm pretty the most people would say will forget them you know if they depend
on what
you're doing to be happy and fulfilled that is their problem
now a lot of photographers feel self conscious when they're in public
place with all that kit, tripod, etcetera
because they're scared someone will ask them if they're a professional.
Well what's wrong with the truth? what do you think would happen if you were to say no
actually im learning photography and I've come out to practice and figure out what
all this stuff does
they'd probably say to you, oh that's cool you know i'd love to do that where are you studying?
and then a conversation is born, and you never know where that conversation will end up.
you could have just met love of your life, or the very least a new friend to
go photographying with
photographying whatever that is, but you never know
the thing is it's okay if you don't know everything, do you think
Ansel Adams Steve McCurry Cartier press on surpassed your Salgado who is an
absolute hero of mine
me or anyone else didn't have to start somewhere
so is a beginner you in some very fine company there
john also said I would love to have a good
understanding of photography
well in another this
series of videos I've asked the question how dedicated to photography
are you is a link in the text below and on screen
my question back to you is this how much
do you love to have a good understanding of photography, let me rephrase that,
how much would you love to have a good understanding of photography
enough to step over the shyness and go out into the pitch
and do it been I know it can be painful if you naturally shy
but all the best lessons and achievements they always begin in scary
land
just take it one little step at a time
if you wanna go shoot street scenes don't try to emulate someone who's been
doing it for years begins
slowly, maybe with buskers or street perfromers who are used to being the center
of attention
try talking to them first, I know that may be scary for you but
you'll probably find they'd love you to take their photos
and if they don't the worst they can say is no
and then it's up to you to either let that no stop you
dead in your tracks or to politely say
okay no worries sorry to trouble you
and then you can go often come find someone else to photograph
the No doesn't mean you're bad and wrong and crap,
it just means they have their own issue with something
now as you practice this, there may be a few no's along the way
but I bet they'll be more yes's and as you collect
yeses your confidence is going to grow
now it's always best to be honest tell people you're learning
tell them you feel really shy and awkward and they'll usually be able to relate to
that
and make an effort to help most people are great if you give them the opportunity
it may take one person to start a war
but it also takes any one person to be open and friendly
and in my experience that's contagious
if you're into street photography and had someone act badly to you taking a
picture is possibly because
you are nervous yourself and you acting strangely
now we can all smell other peoples discomfort
and they could probably smell it toand it probably made them feel uncomfortable
and possibly suspicious of what you were doing,
the only way to build confidence is not to be stopped by your fear
what people might think about you as you take small steps
and do things which are uncomfortable for you now you'll find that fear begins
to diminish
fear rarely real or justified in societies which
most of us live in thes days th place to begin is that first small step
out onto the pitch with everybody in the stadium looking at you
and that probably a scary place for some of you
but these people looking at you they probably just thinking
this is an interesting person I wonder who they are
now of course inside you the self conscious part is shouting
but no I'm no interesting stop looking at me
but that's not your choice to make because to them
you might be interesting and maybe
just maybe they're right.
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