Achieving Excellence in The Arts
In every creative field, the path to becoming accomplished is marked by dedication, practice, and experience. Whether you’re an actor, dancer, or photographer, the pursuit of excellence is an ongoing process. For a professional photographer, growth isn’t just about acquiring technical skills. It’s about refining the understanding, interpreting a concept, and cultivating the production of images in such a way that it all develops into a unique style, leading to the telling of compelling stories through art. This journey is best understood as a continuous arc of improvement, much like the growth of dancers like Janine Beckles with whom I’ve had the great privilege to collaborate with a couple of times, and whose poise and skill become more nuanced with time.
A Professional Photographer’s Path
Early in a photographer’s career, the focus, often times, is on building a strong foundation. Basics like lighting setups, camera settings, and composition techniques become the cornerstones of the work. Mistakes are common, and progress feels slow. For me, this stage involved a lot of trial and error, without the benefit of a mentor, a guide, or example to follow. This process made that more challenging as it involved capturing the images on film…lightyears before digital photography, or so it seems.
Over time, as experience sets in, intuition begins to take over. Lighting, which once required painstaking and time-consuming adjustments, becomes second nature. I’ve developed an almost instinctive ability to sense the perfect setup required to create the right mood, and style needed for the project at hand. This shifted my work from simply taking pictures to creating immersive visual stories.
The Impact of Experience: Honing Your Craft
Experience is a great teacher, shaping every human into a better version of himself. For artists, that experience sharpens their style and approach. For dancers like Janine, achieving excellence isn’t just about technical perfection but about becoming one with the dance. Similarly, for photographers, it’s not just about capturing an image but creating a moment that feels alive and evocative, on a multitude of levels.
I follow my five Ps of professionalism: predict, plan, prepare, produce, and problem-solve. These principles, combined with years of experience, enable me to comfortably walk into any shoot, ready to adapt to whatever challenges arise.
Refining Your Craft Through Time
With the refining of their craft, a professional photographer learns to weave storytelling into just about every shot. They do so very naturally. That same finesse is the benchmark of most seasoned artists. Using Janine as an example, again, her growth as an artist mirrors this process. During our first shoot, her energy was vibrant and full of passion. The next time I had the honor of working with her, she had evolved into an artist whose movements are infused with more nuance and elegance. Same strong technique, more ease of execution. This progression is a testament to how skill and refinement come with time and dedication.
The Role of Collaboration and Mentorship
Excellence in photography is rarely achieved in isolation. Mentorship and collaboration play pivotal roles along the way. Learning from peers and collaborating with other creatives can offer new perspectives, refine one’s approach, and expand the understanding of the craft. These relationships are vital to growth, both technically and creatively.
The journey to achieving the high-level skill of a professional photographer is as rewarding as the results. Each experience adds depth, and layers of understanding, leading to a surge in confidence, and refinement of the work. As photographers grow, they transition from taking basic images to capturing moments, to creating timeless, impactful, and memorable imagery. Through that adventure, the pursuit of excellence remains a lifelong journey worth embracing.
