Four Lessons From Veteran Photographers

Photography Tips

It’s always a good idea to have someone in your industry to look up to. They could be your mentor, your teacher, or even a friend – someone who will give you a second opinion and possibly point out something that you haven’t thought about. In today’s video, we have photographer Ted Forbes who talks about some of the most valuable things he has learned about photography from some great photographers who he calls his heroes:

“Learning photography is a long process. The best advice is passed down from those who have come before us.”

Forbes shares some insightful snippets of his interviews with photographers Keith Carter, Graciela Iturbide, Laura Wilson, and John Free. Each of them has something to share that Forbes, and us viewers, can use as a lesson for our photography journey.

Keith Carter talks about how it’s important that you keep on taking photo–sometimes without spending too much time analyzing your scene. You’ll be surprised to see how happy accidents can give you a whole new direction in your work. Take pictures whenever you can, and you’ll have the rest of your lives to figure out their meaning.

For documentary photographer Graciela Iturbide, people are not just subjects. She emphasizes that the more you interact and get to know people, the more they will start to trust you. And this trust will give you access to shots so unique, you never knew it was possible. Treat people as people and you will be rightly rewarded.

Laura Wilson shares her insight into what one has to do to be an artist. As she rightly points out, you need to be obsessed with what you do in order to be good at what you do. Use your passion to fuel your photography and worthy results will follow. Make your best effort to improve your knowledge and understanding. This is a must if you truly want to become a good photographer.

John Free has a very interesting approach for you if you want to be good at photography. Stop taking easy shots. In his perspective, for your photographs to come out great, you must put effort into it. And don’t waste your time and resources taking simple snapshots. Instead, put your mind and energy into thinking of something unique. Only then will your photos be able to stand out from the rest.

What do you think of these photography lessons? Which one do you like the most? Let us know in the comments.