Stephen Walton Photography Workshops

Different strokes for different folks and all that is true for photographers, but there are some traits that are consistent across all artists that are important to have/display in order to be an engaging and competent artist.

Notice how I didn’t say ‘successful’ – it’s a subjective word in the world of art.

What Do You Need to be a Photographer?

This is only taken from my own observations and experiences of being a photographer for the past 15+ years. I’ve worked with hundreds of photographers, amateur and pro.

Curious – I think a nosy person would make a great photographer. It’s the curious nature in us that keeps us looking at things we shouldn’t or overstepping the mark just to discover what’s going on. If you’re nosy, you’re on to a winner.

Competitiveness – As much as I don’t condone photography as a sport or at least an art form where we are all in a race to a final summit, I think converting jealousy/envy into energy is useful. We inspire each other as photographers, that’s undeniable. That inspiration should come as a pilot light to ignite our own passion to push forward.

A Photographer Needs to Be Brave

Yes, you need to be brave. The safest shot is the one without risk, but how many incredible moments in life would we never have seen without someone taking a risk? Look at all these icon images, none would have been taken without a photographer taking a deep breath and being willing to deal with the consequences later.

This is not to say that being shy means you’ll never be good enough, but that next level is only achieved with courage.

A Photographer Needs to be Resilience

You will get setbacks and you will be put down – but hopefully not. Unfortunately, the modern age of social media comes with some bad caveats in the wrong communities.

You’ll need a thick skin sometimes if a misguided comment comes your way. All I can say is don’t step back if it happens. Don’t put down the camera, just put down the social media. That’s the problem, not your photography.

A Photographer Needs an Aim

Without a map how the hell do you get to somewhere you’ve never been? And just like that, it’s clear why having an overall goal in photography is important to know if you’re on the right path.

This may just be an aim to improve your portraits, take more photos, become a better editor, learn about storytelling, etc., either way, it’s a goal that stops you from shooting aimlessly without any benchmarks to measure against.

You may think there is more to a photographer’s personality, and if so let me know.