Here are a few pieces of advice for young photographers from Alec Soth."What advice would you give young photographers?
1) Never think photography is easy. It's like poetry in that it's easy enough to make a few rhymes, but that's not a good poem.
2) Study photography, see what people have achieved, but learn from it, don't try photographically to be one of those people
3) Photograph things you really care about, things that really interest you, not things you feel you ought to do.
4) Photograph them in the way you feel is right, not they way you think you ought to
5) Be open to criticism, it can be really helpful, but stick to you core values
6) Study and theory is useful but you learn most by doing. Take photographs, lots of them, be depressed by them, take more, hone your skills and get out there in the world and interact."
Very good advice in my opinion. I really wish I had gotten these points as recently as two years ago. I think it is easy, in any art discipline, to get bogged down trying to make stuff that looks like other peoples work. I have found that when I forget about trying to look good I am always more satisfied and happy with what I do.
ReplyDeleteGood advice and that includes not making work that looks like Alec Soth's. And don't forget to look at work. A lot.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with this advice. I've found through my own pursuit of the "perfect photograph" that a lot of times you have to try a million shots before that ONE finds its way to your viewfinder. And also that if you aren't passionate about what you're photographing it can really come through in the image.
ReplyDelete