Throwback Thursday... Kinda

THIS is exactly why I don't look down on photographers who are just starting out! The bottom image I shot in December and the top image is from my very first "session" with my first DSLR.

Um.. WOW!
Why would... How did.. Who would... Wow...
Double-You... Tee... Eff...
(No worries.. Jen -top photo mama- and I have talked about these photos before lol).

I was the epitome of "give a chick a camera and suddenly she's a photographer."

I busted my butt to get to where I am and am completely self-taught. I didn't have a photographer mentor, I never went to any classes.. Just LOTS of researching and trial & error! If you want to be a successful photographer, it's going to take work.. A lot of HARD work! I'm talking 18+ hour days, editing until your hands feel like they're going to fall off, brushing up on your business and customer service skills.. There is SO MUCH more that goes into a photography business than "taking pictures." 

I would venture to guess about 5% of my time (and that's being incredibly generous) is spent actually pressing the shutter.

So before you think, "Hey! I've got a nice camera! I'll step into this overly saturated industry with no skills and no drive to learn the necessary information and techniques to make anything out of myself," don't. Just don't. I would do things way differently had I known in 2011 what I know now!... I spent a long time making a total ass out of myself because I called myself a "photographer" but couldn't tell you what ISO meant and couldn't understand why a $2000 lens was worth the money over my kit lens. 

People know... They know a crappy photo when they see it and they talk about it. I know of so many people who had the whole "give a chick a camera" chat about me, but look where I am now! 

IN YO' FACE! :)

If you're producing images like the top example, PLEASE don't charge anyone money for that! Use it as a learning experience and practice, practice, practice!!!

AND before you jump to judge new "bad" photographers, give them some time. If in a couple years he/she has made little to no improvement, chances of improvement and growth ever happening are pretty damn slim... HOWEVER, when you can look at images from the same photographer taken a few months apart and can instantly see a difference in quality, THAT'S someone to watch.. That's someone who will do big things.

I, my friends, plan on doing big things :)