Knowing Your Tools ~ Wide Angle Wednesday!

"Lost and Found"

Who here loves to learn? I certainly do. Had a random conversation one day with several other photographers who have begun repeating a sentiment I'm hearing a lot lately. And it goes a lot like this - who needs workshops, teachers, and programs? Just get out there and shoot already.....

I get told this every time I mention a workshop I'd love to travel to, or a webinar I feel the urge to promote to others. People look at me like I'm insane and always state "you're there already, who needs to waste time on something like THAT?" And to a point, in order to discover who you are as a photographer you DO have to just pick up your camera everyday and pursue photography your own way, with your passion, and no one elses. I hear that.

 But.... I personally believe in fully knowing the tools I have at my disposal as well. And I mean KNOWING my tools, understanding what I can accomplish with what I have, and maybe what my needs will be in the future as I grow. My husband can tell you that. Tools are what get you the final result. I shot the interior of the garage this morning for my motivation challenge. He had tools laying everywhere, ready to build something. He knows exactly how to use them all to his advantage, but he had to learn about them first. And I can honestly say I still don't know everything about my own tools of photography, and never will. And if there are ways out there to learn more, and things that will show me to be better with my camera, my lenses, my business, my vision then I'm sorry, but I'll be taking it all in. Why do some folks make it seem like being taught means lowering ourselves? Now yes, some workshops are designed to take your hard earned money and try to distract you with new shiny things so it seems as if you made a great investment in learning... but not every opportunity is built that way, and not everyone is out there to con you. You just have to wisely do your homework.

I never have a ton of money for the big traveling workshops anyways, but if I did, I would find one that combined a dream come true location with talented seasoned instructors. And of the smaller and more inexpensive seminars and teaching webinars I've signed up for, I've come away with more knowledge about photography than I had going in.

Things like A) knowing your reciprocals saves your work at a shoot happening in constantly changing light when your meter swings back and forth on you,

B) knowing how to read a histogram properly so that every shot has skin tones looking amazing, C) finding out that every time you add a flash you double your Fstop, and D) that your website and your blog need to be cohesive, yet fill different needs at the same time.

All these things were things I didn't know, till someone more in the know told me. And they've improved my photography because of it.

Don't let anyone tell you you're past learning. Devour information coming your way... then instead of sitting on it, grab your camera, call your web designer, or whatever it is you just figured out you need to improve your approach to photography and get out there and prove you can do it!

Thanks for the preachy little ramble folks! Feel free to sign in and leave a comment too. And have a super day.