6 Harsh Truths Every Photographer Should Hear
In my photography journey I’ve learned many things.
Some of it was great, a lot of it was crap.
But in that journey of cutting through the noise, the weeds, the fluff, I was able to understand what I actually wanted to do with photography, and what actually matters in photography.
Today, I’m gonna share that with you.
Here are some harsh truths about photography, every photographer should hear.
There’s no camera gear that will make you a better photographer.
There’s no camera or lens that will make you a better photographer.
Although this might sound obvious, this was a hidden belief I used to have myself.
When you’re early in your photography journey, every camera looks awesome.
There’s the new sony here, the new fuji here.
And subconsciously, deep down, I felt that if I just had this camera or lens I’d be able to do awesome things and take better photos.
And you’ll often hear creators telling you the same story “It’s not the camera, it’s the photographer.”
To which you’ll ignore and say “Yeah yeah yeah whatever, now about this new x100vi…”
And this is a temptation I still have.
Every now and then a camera or lens pops up and my subconscious wants it even though I don’t need it.
This is the shiny object syndrome or gear acquisition syndrome of photography.
And this is how it plays out.
You watch some creator’s gear review online.
You look at the spec sheets and prices on ebay and weigh your options.
You fantasize about how great your life would be once you got that thing.
You press the order button.
And when it finally arrives, it’s awesome.
You’ll take some photos, use it for a few weeks, and then gradually get used to it.
Then you fall back into routines, stop going out to take photos because it’s not as exciting without a new camera, and then start looking for the next thing.
The new camera you got may still be awesome, but not nearly as awesome as your brain made it out to be.
And eventually, it becomes normal.
This is just the camera you use.
This is just the car you drive.
This is just the house you live in.
And then you look to the next piece of gear to hopefully give you that lasting long term awesomeness that doesn’t exist.
Now if you’re the type of person who lives and dies by getting new things, whatever, that’s your life.
But if you’re trying to become a better photographer, you’ll realize that you can buy all the camera gear in the world and it won’t make a difference.
After all, most cameras and lenses nowadays are more or less the same.
There is very little more I could do with my x100vi than I could do with the V or older cameras.
At the end of the day it’s press the shutter, take the picture.
So the true limiter on your photography skill is you.
All that matters is the time you spend taking and editing photos.
The time you spend working on photography projects.
The hours you dedicate to teaching and learning more about photography.
All of those are within your control, are what actually improves your photography, and they don’t cost a dime.
So reminder if you’re thinking about getting a new body or lens:
There is no camera gear that will make you a better photographer.
Your way of doing things isn’t the best way, it’s just your way.
The next harsh truth that I think many photographers could benefit from hearing is that your way of doing things isn’t the best way, it’s just your way.
Many photographers, myself included, get wrapped up in our own creative processes and how we take photos.
We find a way that works, we find a style or look that works, and we find the camera gear we love.
And then for some reason there’s a subconscious assumption that goes on in our heads that “this is what really works for me, so it’ll definitely work for everyone.”
Even though logically, that doesn’t make sense.
There is no one size fits all.
So you’ll see this in the forums or comment sections all the time.
People trying to flaunt or share their recommendations as the way everyone else should do something.
But it’s not the best way.
It’s just your way.
And that’s the harsh truth.
And this is something I often try to remind myself and include in these videos.
When it comes to giving photography, productivity, philosophy tips, I have to be super conscious of what I’m saying.
And I always try to remind myself and you guys - it’s just what works for me.
This may or may not help, just take and apply what you find useful to your life.
But otherwise, there’s no way of me knowing what will actually help you because I don’t know you in real life.
I can only relate and share what has worked for me.
And the truth is that not everything that works for me will work for you.
Some of it will, but not everything.
Which means that everyone needs to find their own way of doing things.
And when you do, be careful and use that information as a “soft recommendation” to others.
Because your way of doing things is not the best way, it’s just your way.
There’s no preset that will make your photos amazing.
Presets are an age old thing for photography.
I wouldn’t necessarily call it a “trap” but I think many people misunderstand what presets actually do.
Presets are sold as a one click way to make your photos look amazing - that’s the “value proposition”.
But if you’ve ever bought a preset pack before, you’ll quickly realize that it’s not just a one stop shop.
You can’t just buy a preset and voila everything looks amazing.
You still have to take well exposed photos.
You still have to adjust exposure and colors to the photo everytime you apply a preset.
And you still have to take a good photo for your photo to be good.
And to be clear, I don’t have anything against photographers selling presets.
I think you do what you gotta do, if someone wants to pay you for a preset you made, all the power to you.
But I think it’s important to be clear - presets aren’t a one click fix for your bad photography.
Another example of this is Fujifilm film simulations.
Now don’t get me wrong.
I’m a Fuji shooter, the film simulations are great, I love them, but they’re essentially glorified presets.
The dream they are selling is that they can make your photos look like film with a digital camera.
And although I do love the look the film simulations give my photos, I don’t think they actually look like film.
I’ve mentioned this in a previous video but when comparing many of my film photos and digital Fujifilm photos, the difference is clear.
Fujifilm images are “digital film”.
They look great, but do NOT look like film.
The colors are different, the grain is different, the sensor size and resolution affects the resulting image.
Which isn’t a bad thing.
It’s just that like presets, they are not a one stop shop to good photography.
You still have to learn photography, you still have to learn photo editing.
There will never be a way around that.
Of course if you shoot pure jpeg and that’s your preference, all the power to you.
But if you truly want to develop your own look and understand exposure and color in photo editing, that’s what it takes.
Because in my opinion, your style as a photographer is heavily dictated by how you edit photos.
Meaning that if you always just use presets, you’ll never develop your own style/look.
Now debatably your “style” could be that you use presets or shoot only JPEGs, but I think you get what I mean.
Point is, there is no preset that will make your photos amazing in the way they promise to.
You’ll still have to learn photography.
Maybe you’re not good enough - and that’s okay.
This one applies more heavily to serious creators and photographers.
If you’re someone who just takes photos as a hobby or for fun, you don’t have to think too deeply on this one.
But if you’re someone who’s serious about photography as a way of living, art form, or way to make money, here’s something to understand.
Maybe you’re not good enough, and that’s okay.
Let me explain.
Say you want to be a working photographer, sell prints, get gigs, make a career out of what you do but you’re not getting the opportunities you feel like you deserve.
You see other photographers or artists getting the jobs you want and they may not even be better than you.
And in this, you might feel like life is unfair.
But the harsh reality of it, is maybe you’re not good enough.
Because if you were that good, it would be difficult for the world to ignore you.
And whether or not someone wants to hire you or buy your print is outside your control.
The only thing you control is what you do and how you react to what happens to you.
Meaning, learn to focus on getting better instead of wasting energy worrying about others.
Learn to convert missed opportunities into motivation.
This is challenging, because I feel like not just photographers, artists, or creators, but people in general are very bad at taking responsibility for their own successes.
They work and work and work and look to the outside world to reward their efforts.
But the world doesn’t care about how hard you work - the world cares about what you do, what you make, and how you act.
And you can be the hardest working artist in the world but if what you make is garbage the world simply would not care.
So how do we manage this?
We manage this by focusing on what matters.
Focusing on the craft itself, the work itself, what we do.
Don’t waste energy thinking about “why hasn’t it happened yet”.
Don’t waste energy comparing yourself to others.
Don’t waste energy getting frustrated at things outside your control.
Focus on the only thing you can focus on - what you do.
Learn to ask others for advice on how to improve.
Read a few books, watch a few podcasts, learn from others.
Spend more time actually taking and editing photos.
Those are your options.
It’s that or continue to wallow in your own misery and blame the world for not giving you what you feel like you deserve.
Hint: the second one doesn’t work.
Nothing you create will last.
This is for the purists in the room.
I don’t think too many people struggle with this, but some do.
If you’ve got some ambition or mindset to create something great, leave an impact, change the world or whatever, be careful.
I think a lot of artists put too much weight on their art.
Meaning they ascribe a meaning to their art that is unfair.
They see art as their purpose or meaning in life and therefore become overly dependent on the outcome of their art.
And their self worth becomes determined by whatever impact or lasting legacy they leave through their art.
Again, not everyone, just a few.
But this is a trap many photographers can find themselves in as they become more and more serious about photography.
You look at the photographers you admire, maybe the Ansel Adams’, the Daido Moriyama’s, the Cartier Bresson’s, and you think “I wanna take photos like that.”
And before you know it, you’re swept into a battle between art and self worth.
Because desiring something, even if it’s just to get better, creates a deficit between your current self and your desired self.
And wanting things outside of your control can be a sure path to misery.
So I don’t say this as a bad thing.
But the earlier in your photography journey you can understand this, the better.
Don’t try to create something that will last.
Don’t try to “leave an impact” with your work.
Don’t try to do anything fancy like changing the world.
Because it’s not going to happen.
And if it does happen, it won’t be because you intended for it to happen.
Plus if you give it a long enough time period, people will eventually forget.
Even the great artists like Picasso or Da Vinci or Michelangelo, will be forgotten in a few thousand years.
So trying to leave some sort of lasting legacy with your art is silly in my opinion.
Because its futile - given enough time all things crumble, even great civilizations.
You might be thinking, “What’s wrong with just dreaming Andre?”
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having big dreams, goals, or ambitions.
I just think it comes at a cost.
The price we mentioned earlier is that wanting something creates a deficit which creates unhappiness.
A great quote that emphasizes this:
“Desire is a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want.” - Naval
So here’s the good news.
When you understand this, it actually becomes liberating to be creative.
If nothing I make today will last anyways, that means I can create whatever I want however I want.
I’m not limited on creative freedom.
And I don’t have to waste time and energy to create something that others will like, because who cares?
I can simply pursue what I want to pursue creatively and artistically and be satisfied with the making of my own work.
And that gets me pumped.
So instead of trying to make something that will last, focus on creating what you want to the best of your ability.
And enjoy making stuff.
Most photographers are gear enthusiasts not photographers.
The final harsh truth of the day is perhaps the most important one.
Most “photographers” are NOT photographers, they’re gear enthusiasts.
Most “photographers” care more about camera gear than they do taking photos.
And most “photographers” like to say they’re about it, rather than be about it.
That’s the sad but harsh reality.
And if you’ve spent any amount of time online you know this to be true.
Spend 5 seconds browsing the photography youtube realm.
Pay attention to what’s popular, what gets views, what drives revenue, what the comment sections are filled with.
99% of it is about gear, < 1% of it is about photography.
People love the new features, the new upgrades, the new tech.
That’s exciting and fun.
People like fantasizing about how this new piece of equipment is going to change everything for them and their “photography”.
And they love thinking about going out and taking pictures instead of actually going out and taking pictures.
And I get it.
Because reality is always a little less nice than you imagined.
Although going outside and taking photos might sound nice, it can kinda suck as well.
Some days it’s cold.
Some days it’s windy.
Sometimes there’s absolutely nothing interesting about the day and you’re stuck wondering why you’re spending your time outside taking random street photos of random things when you could be inside wrapped up in a blanket, sipping a nice cup of hot chocolate.
Why the heck would you want to spend the next few hours uncomfortably walking around the streets taking pictures that no one cares about?
You lowkey don’t.
Because you’d rather watch that nice new cinematic photography video your favorite creator just put out of them taking pretty and satisfying pictures.
That’s the harsh truth.
And I’m not judging you for it if you feel this way, because I get it.
And if you’re okay with that, that’s perfectly fine.
But if I’ve struck a chord here, I’d recommend to sit down and ask yourself:
“Am I a photographer or a gear enthusiast?”
“Do I spend more time thinking about photography than I do taking photos?”
“Do I enjoy talking about photography more than I enjoy taking photos?”
“Am I more excited about this new piece of equipment than I am about what I’m gonna make with it?”
Again, whatever conclusion you come to, it’s okay.
Because whatever version of photography you enjoy is your version.
And not everyone has to be super into photography if they don’t want to be.
But this is an article about harsh truths, and that’s the truth.
Most photographers are gear enthusiasts - not photographers.
Lets wrap this up.
The 6 harsh truths every photographer should hear:
There’s no camera gear that will make you a better photographer
You gotta put in the work and effort into your photography if you want to improve your photography.
Your way of doing things isn’t the best way, it’s just your way
You’ve got a preference. Great. That’s just your way, not the best way.
Understand this and you can be flexible in your process and learn from others’ processes.
There’s no preset that will make your photos amazing
Again, if you want to make your photos look great, learn to take better photos and learn to edit better.
Presets have their uses but are not a one stop shop to good photography.
Maybe you’re not good enough - and that’s okay
If you lack followers, subscribers, sales, maybe you’re not good enough.
And instead of blaming the world for your lack of external reward, focus on the craft and good things will come.
Nothing you create will last
So don’t worry about making something that will.
Instead create whatever you want, however you want, and embrace the freedom in this statement.
Most photographers are gear enthusiasts not photographers
Many “photographers” would rather read and watch reviews than take photos.
Some “photographers” would rather debate in the comment or forum section.
Many “photographers” would rather watch photography content than do photography.
Which one are you?
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this, I hope this could help in some way.
If you did, please share this with a friend who might also enjoy this.
Also check out my new photography zine “The Sinking Sun”.
Plus, grab a free 4x6 print if you haven’t yet.
Thanks for reading, have a great day!
