encouragement

Sometimes we put things off so many times that the act of delaying that thing becomes automatic. “I’ll get to that thing tomorrow”, and tomorrow comes, tomorrow goes, and that thing never gets taken care of. I fell into that trap, and the thing that kept being put off was taking portraits of my parents.

Right now is the best time ever to be a photographer, so why all the long faces?

Photographers can easily become distracted by the pursuit of things like popularity and success, but one thing that many photographers find beneficial is going out and creating photos just for themselves rather than for others. Here's a 5-minute spoken word performance titled "You Must Create" that encourages photographers to do just that.

What if your house burned down? Have you still “made it” as a photographer?

SLR Lounge recently published this 8-minute video on 10 ways you can light and shoot the same scene. But it's the short monologue at the end, starting at 6m38s, that has received quite a bit of attention in the online photo community. Pye Jirsa talks about how every photographer can help foster a culture of supporting one another.

In this great video from DSLR Guide, Simon Cade talks about discontentment: how it can be harnessed as a fuel to keep driving forward, and as a signpost to assure that you’re on the right track.

Here's an encouraging 14-minute video by landscape photographer Thomas Heaton about the truth of failure.

The joy of photographing on the street comes from close and engaging photos. Displaying the human nature and emotions in a way that the audience can relive these moments requires the photographer to be close and engaging as well. Unfortunately for a lot of us, it is not easy to stand out from the masses and overcome artificial social boundaries.

If you're just starting out in photography and your goal is to eventually make a living from your photos, one of the big obstacles you'll need to overcome is being bogged down by insecurities. Business and marketing guru Vernon of Shoot and Prosper has created an infographic to guide and encourage those struggling with this issue. It's called "The Ultimate Guide to Building Confidence as a Photographer."

The doctor looked straight to my mother's eyes. He wanted to break eye contact but he couldn't. There was bad news to deliver first.

How long does it take a person to learn photography? Can -- or should -- you make the jump from newbie to working professional professional in a heartbeat? That's the question discussed in this insightful video by photographer Mike Browne.

Frustrated with your failures in photography? Here's an inspiring comic titled "Be Friends with Failure" by artist Stephen McCranie of Doodle Alley.

One of the things I love about photography is it appeals to both the geek and the artist in all of us. On the geek side you have the technical considerations of making an image; the f-stops, shutter speeds, depth of field, histograms, dynamic range, all the stuff we must all master in order to communicate our vision.

Of course we can’t forget about all the ‘geeky’ gear, super telephotos, focusing rails, tele-converters, extension tubes, fill flash, and such. On the artistry side things are a little tougher to define, shape, color, composition, mood, balance, and that fickle mistress light, to mention just a few.

In a world obsessed with views, likes, and viral hits, it can be discouraging to feel like no one is paying any attention to the art you make. If that describes your photography, then you should watch this fantastic 10-minute video essay titled "Painting in the Dark: The Struggle for Art in A World Obsessed with Popularity."

In it, Adam Westbrook of Delve takes a look at the life and work of Vincent van Gogh. Although he is now one of history's most celebrated artists, Van Gogh struggled through years of poverty and obscurity during which no one cared about his efforts.

Dear young, aspiring artist,

It is no secret that today’s society raised an eyebrow on you when you decided to pursue that degree on photography, graphic design, or whatever you’re passionate about but “doesn’t pay well”. And if you haven’t come to that point in life, give these words a thought.

The next time you are frustrated, having a bad day or negativity is simply surrounding you, break the cycle and turn everything around with your photography. It always amazes me how incredibly powerful photography is in bringing light into the darkness of life. While most of the things don’t have this almost magical power, your photography has. It’s one of the most positive things you could do, especially in moments when you need it the most.

Are you improving at photography? We probably all ask ourselves the question, yet often we don’t know how to find the answer in any meaningful way. It is something that has nagged me for years, so I finally decided to find out if I really have been improving. Here is how I did it.

Here’s an inspiring 3-minute video in which veteran fashion and portrait photographer David …

I am often asked for advice by those starting out in the photography industry. And if there’s one thing I have no shortage of, it’s advice. So with that in mind, I present you with my 8 Tips for Starting a Photography Business.