How to Tell if You’re Becoming a Photography Snob

When most photographers start out, they carry their cameras everywhere. If you remember your early days as a photographer, you might recall that you had no particular interest and shot almost anything, anywhere. But as time goes by, you become more particular about where and what you shoot. You then start taking your camera out only when you’re visiting places where you plan to take photos. If that’s the case then you might be turning into a photography snob. Photographer James Popsys thinks he has turned into one and shares his thoughts on the matter:

When you establish yourself in a certain photography genre, chances are that you’ll start paying more attention to your portfolio. The notion that your portfolio needs to have similar images, taken at a similar time of day, with a coherent style will start dictating where, when, and how you take your photos. But, it doesn’t have to be that way.

landscape photogarphy in the outskirts

Once you start to settle down with a particular genre or a particular type of location, things start getting “easy” for you. For instance, if you only visit beautiful outskirts, you get good images almost anywhere you turn your camera. Where’s the challenge in that? On the contrary, if you take your camera to a bustling city, you’ll need to push yourself to the limits. This will in a way, force you to work much harder and expand your creative boundaries. And that’s a good thing, right?

urban street photography

“You need to be looking around you at all times. You need to have your eyes kind of in all directions. And, you need to have your creative juices flowing to be able to spot stuff that is interesting and potentially makes a good photo.”

Are you turning into a photography snob yourself? If you are, it’s not too late. Don’t forget to pick up your camera and take some photos, even if the style doesn’t suit you. Challenge yourself by photographing in places you usually wouldn’t.

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