Hi guys,
It’s been so long since I’ve written a blog I’ve almost forgotten how to type.
Basically I’ll cut to the chase. I’m someone that whenever talking about work or art, I typical start or end with “But that’s just my opinion” - or “That’s not the way I would do it.”
The reason I do this is not because I’m not confident in my own work or know what I want, it’s because I don’t really see many “rights or wrongs” in art.
I read a few online photo magazines and folks will post a photo and open it up to comments. And there’s always 3/4 comments that say “You should have done - blah blah blah.” I might be thinking the same thing these people are commenting it, but I think it might be best to phrase in a bit more passive way. The point of us all creating is so we can do what we want (excluding of course when you have other clients / etc. to please). I’m not going to tell someone how to shoot a photo of a barn, that’s their photo. Do what you want, I could tell you I might do this, or I would have done something a little differently, but that doesn’t mean their photo is any less “good.” Notice I’m putting good in quotes because “good” is an opinion.
I guess I’m ranting about this because I’ve seen people take truly beautiful images on their iphones, and I’ve seen people not able to even get a picture in focus with a Canon 5d Mark IV. And when someone posts a fine photo then 5 people comment on it “do this next time.” I just don’t like that.
I understand that a lot of people want advice and critiquing, and that’s good. Just please make sure you aren’t killing their own creativity and trying to force them into shooting like you.
Thank you for reading, and thank you even more for ignoring all of my typos and grammatical errors.
Until next time,
Matt
PS. I’ll probably be shooting something today not exactly how you would, and that’s probably how it should be.
Just got off the phone with a good friend of mine. She’s an actress / model. She was a bit worried about an audition she has in the morning, and the part may require speaking Spanish.
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And what talking with her made me realize is how almost comfortable I’ve gotten with being in over my head. I can’t think of really anything in my entire life I’ve ever been ready for.
I’ve got a car full of products I need to photograph for a client and I have no idea how I’m going to light it or edit them. But I’m going to figure it out.
I’ve just realized that the opportunities in life aren’t going to wait for you to be ready for them. I’ve become a yes and we’ll figure it out later man. That being said, it doesn’t always work out. I’ve had to call other photo / video friends, borrow equipment, apologize to clients etc. But I believe I’ve gotten to where I am by saying yes to every opportunity I thought I could possibly pull off.
I think the best way to get better is to push yourself, and learn how to make it work when it comes right down to it. This is the least fun part. My close friends know how I am. I’m always like “Why can’t these people just pay me to shoot what I’m already good at.”
Instead I get jobs shooting girls in bikini’s on a white backdrop with the camera set up vertically, shooting sunglasses that have mirror lenses, or retouching 160 photos in 24 hours. None of which I was good at beforehand.
So I say go for it. Figure out just how far you can push yourself. Well, I need to go figure out how to light these products, and I have 62 more photos to edit by tomorrow.
Talk soon,
Matt Shouse
BELOW - This is the face I typically make after accepting a job I know I’m going to have some things to figure out for.
Hello friends,
It’s almost 1AM Indiana time, but only almost 10PM Cali time, therefore I cannot sleep. I thought I might write what’s on my mind this evening. I know if I post this, at least my mom will read it, so I can count on one view.
I was scrolling on my phone earlier today and came across someone posting a photo that they had taken. I know this person is relatively new to photography and I found myself internally judging them. Laughing at how they attempted to sound so “pro” in their posts. This was just about the worst thing I could possibly have done.
It got me thinking to how I’m the same as that person. They are just as much a photographer as I am, possibly more. I thought back to how I started. I shot with cameras in my free time, but I’d rather put my face in a blender than let any of my high school friends know that I even owned a camera.
It seems that in my head, and maybe others as well. It’s tough to let people know the early stages of something you’re pursuing, because it isn’t cool yet. Failing isn’t cool. Carrying around a camera isn’t cool if you aren’t “successful” or making waves with it.
If we could all just pick something up, then fast forward to the part where people respect us because of that thing I think we all would. I know I would. There’s this part of doing something where you get started and you’re a bit insecure of people knowing about it.
Now I live like my entire life is a photo shoot and if people ask I’ll tell them, but it took me a lot of jobs, a lot of shoots, and a lot of time to get to this point. BUT REALLY THAT WAS STUPID.
I’m telling myself this now, years later. If you want to try something, do it. Have fun with it. It doesn’t matter. There is no universal success meter. You’re cool just for being you and trying something. If people judge you for that then that is their problem.
I was young and weak and hid what I was working on until something good happened. Then I was like “Okay I guess I’m cool enough to embrace this.”
Maybe this makes sense to you, maybe it doesn’t. It made sense in my head, and that was a cool enough reason for me to write it.
Matt Shouse
Wannabe Basketball player, baseball player, golf player, rapper, filmmaker, photographer, poker player