When I got my first camera in 2010 and I wanted to learn, I read so much about photography. I remember nursing my daughter at 2am and reading Photography for Dummies on my phone! I then moved on to more professional and specialized books I checked out at the library. Some good ones I found in garage sales and thrift stores. Some were gifted to me by friends who had lost interest in photography and had moved on to other hobbies.
It felt strange to start researching and learning again but I quickly realized it didn’t matter; I soon became excited and photography instantly became a passion. It enhanced my daily life, it was perfect alone time, and it fit my curious personality like a glove.
I also remembering joining forums and chatting with people who had had more experience in photography. I joined Flickr and was an active participant, viewing everyone’s daily images and commenting on them if I liked them. Which was basically all of them because they were all so good! Many of my Viewfinders friends and many more that I still communicate with through other social media platforms (and in real life!) are from my Flickr days.
All in all, those learning years were so enriching… I learned the basics and so many great techniques and tips. However, the best piece of information and advice I received from a photographer friend is something I still do and has guided my photography ever since: shoot every day. He said, “In the beginning, 1 out 100 will be good. Then you’ll see maybe 5 out of 100 might work. The more you practice and the more you shoot, the better you will get. And soon you will have 90-100 out of 100 images that are truly good.” Practice makes perfect, remember?
Well, I am far away from being perfect. The good thing is am still learning and still reading about photography, although mostly online. My photography platform has moved mainly from Flickr to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook (the latter mostly as a diary of what I shoot during the year).
And I am still shooting. Every single day. Some days are no good and some days are amazing; it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that I it is part of my daily life and practice now.
Tell me, do you shoot every day? Or do you have trouble picking up your camera every day? I’d love to hear!
PS. The images in this post are a selection of my faves from the past month.
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I haven’t made a practice of picking up a camera every day in a long time, friend. And it’s something I’m considering revisiting. My photography could do with a shake up.
And I have loved seeing your days unfold from a distance for so many years!
Wow, Maite. Just wow! These are stunning! I’m truly inspired. Your photographs are always so full of emotion, warmth, and gorgeous colors. I haven’t shot everyday since my 365 days project a couple of years ago. Then, I was also posting the results daily. I think you’ve inspired me to try to pick up my camera daily, but without the pressure of posting. Anyway, thanks again for sharing <3
Yes to shooting daily, yes to your works. I can feel your power as a photographer in each image you share. You amaze and inspire.
I still remember the first image of yours that I saw on fb. It was a fence image (of course) from your home town. And everyone was telling you to post it to the group.
I don’t shoot every day, but pretty much. I’m not sure I am getting better at it, but it’s a visual diary thing for me.
Maite, your photos always speak to me at such a deep level. I still shoot everyday, and strive to take something that makes me feel. You are an inspiration. Thank you for sharing.