Midyear 2023 retrospective
Some thoughts on my first 2+ years making photos
It's hot in Phoenix, and I'm no fan of walking around town with the sun beating down on me at 110 degrees. So, summers are generally when I play around with some of my photo edits, get caught up on my reading, and do some learning. It's also a good time take stock of my progress and make goals for the rest of the year.
It's been over two years since I picked up a Fujifilm X-T30 and started walking around the streets of Phoenix. Since then, I've upgraded my camera (twice), ditched the zoom lenses (mostly), and found a preferred focal length (full frame 35 mm). I've watched well over a hundred hours of training videos and YouTube videos, and I've spent a week with the Raw Society in New Orleans. My collection of photo books is growing quickly and I bring a camera with me whenever I can.
In the last two plus years, I've also learned some things about myself as a photographer and as a person. If you’re thinking of picking up a camera for the first time or are somewhere in the beginning of your photography journey, I expect that a few of these insights will resonate with you.
Taking photographs is a personal affair
I’m a family guy and somewhat of a homebody. The pandemic only exaggerated that. My home’s four walls were constricting, and my kids were becoming self sufficient. Truth be told, I needed a diversion and some time to myself.
Picking up the camera and leaving the house was a great way to get some “me” time. I was able to focus on one thing—making pictures. Whether finding a composition, playing with exposure settings, fishing, or hunting for pictures, I was in the zone. If I found that I wasn’t reaching a creative flow, I would recharge in a new coffee shop or breakfast joint. No matter the photographic success of my weekly photowalk, the diversion with my camera energized me so I could be a better father, husband, and a more productive leader at work. Photography has been a gift.
Despite its issues, Instagram is a good motivator
I started taking photos to learn something new and to get out of the house. I was happy with my early photos and thought they were good enough to share. So, instead of posting photos of my kids on instagram, my profile has been rededicated to my photography journey.
The likes and comments were gold and helped motivate me to rush out the door each Saturday morning. It wasn’t long until 10 likes turned into dozens. Not crazy numbers by any standard, but it was nice to see people who I didn’t know begin to follow me. I wasn't doing this for a monetary award, but the feedback from (Instagram) friends and family have been deposits into increasing my confidence.
Risks are worth it
Street photography has reminded me that I’m not much of a risk taker. I may see a really nice composition or an interesting subject, but I often will put my camera down or pass right by. I rationalize this all day long: “The photo isn’t worth the potential for conflict;” or “I don’t want to be rude.” Bullshit. Just excuses.
When the weather cools here and I get a chance to make pictures again, my goal is to approach these situations with some extra ambition. Melissa O'Shaughnessy says in her interview with Paulie B, “I want the picture more than I fear the consequences.” With a smile on my face and the knowledge that I’m not doing anything wrong, I’m going to pick up the camera and be more like Melissa.
Finding color is fun and rewarding
I am beginning to see how colors are going to impact my photos before bringing the camera to my eye. More and more, I’m becoming aware of how colors can improve my compositions and make them stand out. I look for colors as complementary elements in my photos, making a compelling composition even more engaging. Christelle Enquist is a big reason why I'm always looking for colors and has explained the use of color in photography better than anyone I have come across.
Hunting for shadows yields results
Not sure what else to say about this. It’s fun to find a frame that includes shadows and light. It’s a great starting point for any composition and it unlocks possibilities. I’m not special in this regard, but this ingredient has really supported my development as a photographer.
Post processing photos is gloriously difficult!
I love working in Lightroom, but I am not very confident with my edits. There are an infinite amount of choices to be made when editing, and I’ve yet to nail down a signature approach. Sometimes I start from scratch, but other times I’ll hunt for a preset as a starting point. Recently, Kyle McDougall’s Portra Style Preset has helped me to get my edits started. I’m going to keep playing with my edits until I find something that I’m happy with, but I’m not there yet.
Those simple shitty photos serve a purpose...
My kids have pointed out on a number of occasions that my photos all look the same. They know that I take a boatload of photos of people walking into a frame with an interesting background. Few are instagram-worthy, and most never see the light of day.
As Mellissa O'Shaughnessy says in her awesome YouTube interview, the “shitty photos” we all have taken with people walking in front of an interesting wall "function as practice...It's an exercise in timing and framing. You do a lot of that...and it’s just pure practice." Thanks Melissa! That's sage advice and has helped me to feel comfortable taking all kinds of photos. I don't hesitate to take those "easy" shots. They "prime the pump" of creativity and help make me a better photographer. I'm constantly looking for more interesting and sophisticated shots, but these practice shots help me to become a better photographer too!
...but the most rewarding photos involve some complexity.
There's nothing better than finding a good background, with great lighting and something interesting happening! Jorge Delgado-Ureña explains how to get more sophisticated compositions on the The Raw Society YouTube Channel. (If you want a deeper dive, join The Raw Society and watch their Member Only stuff. Gold!) I've had some success with layering, but I'm aspiring toward a better hit rate. I find it a thrill when things fall into place and when my composition asks the viewer to travel around and through the frame. Jorge makes it look easy, but I'm still trying to figure it out!
Coming up with a project is the next challenge
Up until now, I’ve been taking a series of individual photos with no specific theme holding them together. As part of a photo workshop in New Orleans with The Raw Society, I put together a photo book that involved being somewhat strategic about the photos I was taking. I absolutely loved putting together the spreads, but the actual development of a theme was challenging for me. So, that seems like the most appropriate next adventure for me.
Focusing on a theme will be the next step in my photography journey. I don’t even have a clue of what it is, but I’m looking out for ideas. Maybe it’s a societal problem I want expose or an ethnographic project to explore. Could even be something that I pitch to a local magazine or simply another substack to write. I’m stumped for now, but the first part of this project will be to come up with that theme.
Until that theme emerges, there are lot more streets with interesting light and colors to shoot!
I look forward to seeing what your year-end retrospective will look like. Keep it up, Doug.
Many great spreads in the book Doug! The 3 bike photo is still a favorite. Thanks for a great retrospective and for sharing your photography journey with us👏