Not Really A Photography Lesson - Part The First
Nobody asked for this, almost nobody will read this and that’s not really a problem.
Many times in the past I have tried to write blog entries on how to take better photographs or how to succeed in Photography - though (as you who know me can attest) these attempts invariably become more akin to an essay on “Don’t do what I do” 🤣.
After many thoughts and very little action, I’ve decided that rather than post all my work on social media (and watch it disappear amidst all the other dross) I shall edit my work; on an adhoc basis; and post it here with some caustic diatribe I’ve dreamt up whilst failing to utilise much of my brain at work.
I think it’s very important to all of my deep, spiritual and enlightening teachings that people understand a very salient principle of my philosophy.
Almost nobody gives a shit about you or anything you do.
I could elaborate here, but suffice to say this is a conclusion I have drawn from very extensive research (i.e. being alive and being capable of making observations on human behaviour) … I do have plenty of evidence, and I will (without doubt) liberally festoon future ramblings with numerous examples.
Look! A cute Puppy - this is obviously a worthwhile photography lesson type thing
So, on to the important bit.
The other day I bought an old Pentax Spotmatic SP 35mm film camera on eBay (this isn’t really all that important to today’s meandering word salad, it does; however; associate me (almost subconsciously I dare say, dear reader) with that ultra hip and cool group of people who exist in the weird almost ethereal alchemistic world of analogue photography, where dabbling in practices from the past somehow endows you with a kind of mystical knowledge that others have lost or are too dim to comprehend) … not unlike fairly much anything that has it’s misplaced basis in the phrase “Things were so much better in my day”.
I am; as always; digressing … the truth is, I’d been looking for an old 35mm film camera for a while to try and shoot and develop more film, for no other reason than it’s quite good fun. As a happy accident, this camera came complete with a Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 M42 mount lens (the previous hieroglyphics roughly translate to “awesome lens that can cost over £100 on it’s own” 😍).
As I say, people (in general) don’t give a shit about you or what you do.
So, do as you please.
Enjoy yourself.
It’s actually by far the best way to learn. Experiment and make mistakes.
In my first half-arsed attempt at a photography lesson I grabbed a pretty nifty manual focus lens and chose to shoot with the aperture wide open (for the uninitiated this means creating an image that has a great deal out of focus) … does this create amazing images? Not really, it’s actually rather difficult to get crisp, clear images (especially so with old film camera lenses) … but that’s not really the point.
(As an aside; yes another one; whilst proofreading this, it occurred to me that a great many photographers today avoid ever having to shoot with wide open aperture, by merely editing their photographs. When I first saw one of those … predominantly dog photographs … where the background had been blurred to give a faux shallow depth of field, I was impressed. Eventually it invariably becomes a bit of a cliche and shows merely that people copy each other, sometimes to the detriment of creativity)
Yes, this is difficult if you intend to make photography your business, however, there’s very little chance you’ll be able to do that any way.
Are you an amazing photographer? I’m not.
Is each and every image you take stunning and emotionally moving? Mine aren’t.
There’s always going to be somebody better than you and definitely somebody more willing to prostitute themselves to the gods of marketing and bullshittery 😜
In that case, go ahead, pander.
Time and time again I see really good photographers constantly trying to recreate something their hoards of followers ‘liked’ last time. Brilliant, did it result in many many sales? No it didn’t.
Frankly, even if it does result in numerous sales, where’s the joy in constantly having to second guess what random idiots on the internet will find appealing next week.
As I write this (more than a month after I started) I find myself forgetting what exactly the point was. I have a full time job, little spare time and very little interest in being popular … though I am obviously hugely talented, witty and amusing, this has yet to provide me with anything approaching a livable income and I don’t see that changing soon.
If you didn’t enjoy my little sojourn into the online training arena - I couldn’t give a shit … go Google how to take better photographs, or better yet sign up to one of the thousands of influencers who will spend a great deal of time telling you that if you put in the effort, you’ll succeed.
That’s not true, lot’s of you are talentless, and will never produce anything more than an adequate image.
Some of you are really good photographers who spend way too long trying to perpetually attempting to recreate what other people have produced, or even worse, hoping that another image like the one that got you five thousand likes on that Facebook page last month, will crack the internet.
Not going to happen.
This is the bit where I’m supposed to write some form of conclusion.
Maybe a life affirming insight into photography.
I can’t really think of anything that will resonant.
Luckily photography is a visual art form, look at the pretty pictures and form your own conclusion.
Stop looking to others for approval.
Yes, of course, if you want to make money from photography, you will have to take godawful posed wedding photographs, you’ll have to lie to people about how attractive they are and you’ll have to chase payments from assholes.
Or you can just take a wander and snap a few.
So, in conclusion (after the conclusion) … Nobody gives a shit about you, your photography or what you think about photography (and that, by definition, means nobody gives a shit about my work, or what I say) …
Liberating isn’t it?
Look out for more awe inspiring lessons in the future 🤣
As an aside, I never really finished this, it’s kind of here and I may do more, or I may not - nobody gives a shit anyway 🤣