Photography Clips

Today, we're going to talk about something that's supposed to be fun—something that should feel freeing, adventurous, and inspiring. But sometimes, well… it gets a little heavy. I'm talking about the photography trip. You know the kind. That big escape where it's just you, your camera, and the world outside your front door. But if you've done a few of these trips, or even just tried to plan one, t...

A large portion of my time is devoted not just to photography itself, but to something just as important: finding new places to create it. Scouting, for me, is part of the adventure. It's a little like being on a treasure hunt with your camera bag in the passenger seat and curiosity behind the wheel. And over the years, I've discovered a few ways to make that hunt easier, more enjoyable, and a who...

You know, one of the hardest things about being a creative person—whether you're into photography or painting or writing—is motivation. Just getting started. I can't tell you how many times I've had every excuse in the book. I'm not feeling inspired. I don't have the right gear. There's no time. The light's wrong. You name it. But if I'm being honest, those are just that—excuses. Life's busy, sure...

The stereotypical image of the artist is someone who spends a large part of their life not producing anything. Then, when the inspiration strikes, the artist goes to work, spontaneously producing works of art. The artist finally had the exact right sequence of thoughts. Whatever the case is, the work is something that just came to them, spur of the moment. Photographers often have a mental image o...

Photographers hear it all the time: follow the rule of thirds, shoot during golden hour, use leading lines, frame your subject just so. These formulas are everywhere. They promise guaranteed results, and sometimes, they do deliver something pleasing. But if we rely too heavily on formulas, our photography runs the risk of becoming repetitive and uninspired. That's why it's important to understand...

What are the best tools for photography? I spend a lot of time talking about what the reviewers say. If you listen, they will have you believe that the best gear is the gear that has the highest megapixels, the things that will produce the sharpest image quality, the best colors—that sort of thing. I've long argued against this, saying that, in most cases, these costly items are overkill. The mega...

For most of us photographers, the reality is that we're not making a living from photography. For many of us, that's deliberate. Some simply don't want to turn a favorite hobby into a job. Others of us may have goals and dreams, but perhaps we're just starting out, or the demand for our particular brand of photography just isn't that high yet. Whatever the reasons, the point is that most of us hav...

There are a few things that top the list of struggles for photographers. For instance, portrait subjects who find it hard to be comfortable in front of the lens, or lighting that just won't cooperate no matter how you try to modify it. But nothing is so ubiquitous as the weather. It causes all kinds of problems, from rained out trips to the high humidity that results in frizzy hair. So how do we p...

Today, I find myself thinking of the concept of "the hero's journey." If you're not familiar with this, it's basically a type of plot that you'll commonly find in novels. The idea is that while the destination might be the goal, it's not what makes the bones of the story. Rather, the heart of the story is in the journey—the hero's journey, in which he or she perhaps literally journeys across the l...

As a photographer, sometimes you get the sense that opportunity isn't finding you. There are no new places around you to take interesting new photographs, and you don't have the time or money to head out on a trip to somewhere exotic. You fall into a kind of doldrums, unable to move forward, and find that it becomes an incredible struggle to get the inspiration you need to create something new. Wo...

How many times have you snapped a few pictures from the hip only to realize the lens cap is still on? How many times have you taken a few photographs, only to come back later and find spots and smudges in them because your lens had a fingerprint or dust on it? I know these sorts of things have happened to me more often than I'd like to admit. Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/go...

If you've never heard of "sunk cost fallacy," I'll take this opportunity to explain it. It's a phenomenon that happens when you've invested in something so that you're unwilling to stop pursuing that thing. Among gamblers, the idea is that if they keep betting another few bucks, eventually, they'll win. They've sunk too much into their evening of gambling to walk away without a win. Sunk cost fall...

One day seems like the perfect day for some fall photography—the leaves are beautiful, the sun is shining—but you don't have the time that day because life's other demands are calling. The next day? It's snowing! That's a picture-perfect example of how opportunities can truly be fleeting. Sometimes, we miss photographic opportunities because we think, "It'll be there another day, I can always come...

There's one big aspect of creativity that tends to get lost in the shuffle of everything else. We spend a lot of time thinking about how to think in innovative ways or learning new techniques and approaches to art. In all of this discussion about creativity and how to be creative, we lose sight of the fundamental fact that creativity is often about mindset. That old "mind over matter" saying rings...

Here's something I've discussed before, though when I last spoke about it, it was a bit different. It's the idea that we must get to know our surroundings or subjects to photograph them most effectively. Today, I'm framing it a bit differently because we photographers have a habit of always going after something new. New places, new subjects—we want to expose ourselves to as much new and unique as...

Adaptability—Being adaptable is one of the key parts of being a photographer. There are a few different ways to look at this, too. Being flexible can apply to the vagaries of daily life, the things we photograph, and even the techniques and styles we use to create our photographs. On the day-to-day level, being adaptable means being able to roll with whatever the day throws at you. Sometimes, this...

Searching for meaning is something that most of us photographers do almost by default. After all, that's the point of creating artwork, isn't it? To create something meaningful that resonates with the people who enjoy it. And that's why we spend so much time talking about how to imbue our photographs with meaning. Here is perhaps another way to look at or to approach that search for meaning. As I...

Experience and insight is what makes each of our perspectives unique. No two of us can lead the same life. Even though on the surface, it may seem as if some of us are on very similar paths, we all experience it a little bit differently. Every person will have a different set of successes and failures, joys and hardships, achievements and ambitions—the list goes on. Our experiences are even more u...

We photographers produce an awful lot of content. It's not just the photographs that we put up to share with the world, but also the words that we publish, too. Many of us run our own businesses or have photography as a side gig or a hobby that we promote via websites, social media, and elsewhere. Some of us just enjoy blogging, so we do that along with our photographs. The point is, we put out a...

There's been a lot of buzz about the "death of prints" in photography. But frankly? Prints aren't going anywhere. They may become less popular over time as digital technology continues to proliferate, but there will always be a demand for prints. Why is that? Well, some people argue that prints are the only way to preserve photographs forever—though I would argue that the exact opposite is true. T...

We all experience creative lulls occasionally, and sometimes, a good break is in order, so we spend a few days or weeks focusing on things other than art. Whatever the case may be, when you've not been engaged in art for a while, it takes a little bit to get back into the swing of things. It's like going on vacation and then coming back to work. Your mind is still in "vacation mode" even though a...

We spend so much time talking about photography—and for those of us who enjoy this pursuit as more than a passing hobby, we spend a lot of time in photography. Some of us who do this for a living spend most, if not all, of our time immersed in images and the world of art in general. But what about the rest of life? Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/making-time-for-yourself/ Phot...

Creative guilt is a surprisingly common phenomenon. You've probably experienced it, and if you're like most of us, you've probably experienced it more than once. Perhaps we can call it part of the human condition for people engaged in creative works. Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/the-creatives-guilt Photography Clips Podcast: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/ Fo...

Most of us photographers are very particular about maintaining our tools. Lenses need to be stored in dry, temperature-controlled, padded places to prevent scratches mold growing between the elements, or even something like oil leaking between the elements. We take great care to ensure that our cameras are well-protected if it is raining, or we might even avoid taking photographs that day simply t...

The more you dig into advice about photography—and really, probably advice about anything—the more you will find conflicting advice. One of these contradictions is within the way we're taught to work on or to pursue our art... Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/taking-a-break/ Photography Clips Podcast: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/ Follow me: https://www.faceboo...