When exploring any new art or talent, we have to start somewhere.  We start where we are. Whether we are learning a musical instrument or learning how to operate a camera, the main point is to just start with what you know, and grow from there.   You might not have the instrument mastered for quite a while, but the key to getting better is:  practice, practice, practice.

My message to you, though, is this:  Enjoy the process.  Don’t worry about comparing yourself to others.  That can sometimes be so discouraging if you are just focused on how you are not “as good as” someone else.  They don’t matter.  Not really.

Just pursue your art and try to be a little better each day. Let your love of the art be your motivator, not that you want to be better than someone else, not that you want to get more “likes” on facebook or seeking fleeting affirmations on social media, and not just to win more photo contests.

Even if your art is far less than perfect, do it because you enjoy it.
It will be beautiful in its own way.

I recently had the pleasure of photographing Nicole Dalrymple-Hall – Mrs. Heart of Texas United America! She is great!

I have been working with the United America Pageant for about a decade, having photographed many of their queens over the years. What a great group of people. Everyone I have worked with there has been truly wonderful. They have a very intentional focus on community service as a major objective of the group.

Since this is a photography blog, I should mention what gear I was using. I was shooting with two different cameras during the photo session, a Canon EOS 6D and the new Sony a7 RIII.   The Sony did an exceptional job, creating impressive fine-detailed 42.4MP images with excellent dynamic range.  The capability of automatically focusing on and tracking eyes is really great for portrait work.  In a few days, I will share more images shot with the Sony where I tested it a lot more.  For all of these shots in studio, I used Photogenic monolights.

It is not often that I find such words that truly speak to my heart like this. I just had to share this.

I ran across this quote online, written by Charlotte Erikkson. This is so relevant for all artists, but I certainly see it being very relevant to us all as photographers. You are creating a legacy through your art. Thank you Charlotte for these beautiful insights.

“… so this is for us.

This is for us who sing, write, dance, act, study, run and love
and this is for doing it even if no one will ever know
because the beauty is in the act of doing it.
Not what it can lead to.

This is for the times I lose myself
while writing, singing, playing
and no one is around and they will never know
but I will forever remember
and that shines brighter than any praise
or fame or glory I will ever have,

and this is for you who write or play or read or sing
by yourself with the light off and door closed
when the world is asleep and the stars are aligned
and maybe no one will ever hear it
or read your words
or know your thoughts
but it doesn’t make it less glorious.
It makes it ethereal. Mysterious.
Infinite.

For it belongs to you
and whatever God or spirit you believe in
and only you can decide how much it meant
and means
and will forever mean
and other people will experience it too
through you.

Through your spirit. Through the way you talk.
Through the way you walk and love and laugh and care
and I never meant to write this long
but what I want to say is:

Don’t try to present your art by making other people read or hear or see or touch it; make them feel it.

Wear your art like your heart on your sleeve and keep it alive by making people feel a little better. Feel a little lighter.

Create art in order for yourself to become yourself
and let your very existence be your song, your poem, your story.

Let your very identity be your book.

Let the way people say your name sound like the sweetest melody.

So go create.

Take photographs in the wood,
run alone in the rain
and sing your heart out high up on a mountain
where no one will ever hear
and your very existence will be the most hypnotising scar.

Make your life be your art
and you will never be forgotten.”

-Charlotte Eriksson