Learning From Others

There have been a few times on a shoot when a client has asked me to capture something a certain way. It has always irritated me. Who are they to tell me how to do what I do? A fair bit of male ego, if I’m honest.

But my expertise comes from experience, and learning from others is how I keep getting better at what I want to keep doing. And I don’t just mean my peers.

I have always maintained that my work is like art. It appeals to some, not all. Somewhere along the way that became a shield, an excuse to keep doing things my way. When it’s just me and my camera, that’s fine.

Here’s the caveat. If I don’t find ways to please more people, the opportunities to be at one with my camera will get smaller and smaller.

So when a client asks me to shoot or edit a certain way, being open-minded and present is the work. Maybe it isn’t what I would shoot. It’s their vision. And when you have the privilege of photographing someone, their vision comes first.

That doesn’t mean your art disappears. They hired you for your work and for how you make them feel in front of the camera.

So shrug the ego off. Understand what they want. You might learn something you can carry forward.