Ranting

(some) people buy a camera and think that they can do what I do. They think its easy. Most people can’t do what I do. I spent countless hours learning how to use my camera (any camera) and another set of hours learning how to edit. I’m constantly learning how to twist the pixels into the image that I had in my head.

Photography is not about the gear or gizmos or things like presets and filters. Photography is about the photographer. The camera didnt take a great picture any more than the typewriter wrote a great novel.

Admiringly, I got my first DSLR Camera and thought that I was taking great photos and could sell them. Reality hit me hard when I started trying to sell stock photography. I worked my butt off and made like 3 dollars. I probably haven’t even realized those three dollars yet. Stock photo sites usually wait until you have a certain amount before they send you the money.

Even with newer cameras and great lenses, its daunting to try and sell your work. Prints, digital copies, it doesn’t matter. Theres tons of people who think that they could do what I do.

I still have a lot to learn and am not the quintessential expert by any stretch of the imagination. The difference is that I know that I have a lot to learn and will admit that my photos are okay, but when I see how some of the “experts” work, I admit that I’m not really there yet.