I’ve heard it said that one needs to practice at a craft for 10,000
hours before they master it. As interesting a concept as this may be, I
feel it’s important to note that putting in 10,000 hours just isn’t
enough, especially when it comes to artistic pursuits such as
photography.
I can’t tell you how many portfolios I’ve seen on
modeling/photography websites where the photographer boasts ten, twenty,
or even thirty years of experience, yet their photographs are poorly
executed and look very amateurish. However, if you consider that these
photographers have likely been teaching themselves; either by trial and
error, books, or worse through random YouTube tutorials, it comes as no
surprise. Essentially, while they have indeed been practicing, they have
unfortunately been mastering bad techniques and amateur practices.
When I began feeling stuck with my photography a couple of years ago
and desired to move forward, I, too, sought out information through
books, online tutorials, and workshops. Some of the information helped
me progress a bit, but I came to the conclusion that I was in jeopardy
of succumbing to the various pitfalls of following the path of
misinformation, or partial information, which can be just as
detrimental.
I think I heard this quote (don’t laugh) in “The Karate Kid,”
but they probably also got it from somewhere; “There are no bad
students, only bad teachers.” I had been considering enrolling at my
local university to finish my MFA in photography, although it had been over 20 years since I had dropped out of the program.
Around this time, I heard about the Shoot The Centerfold workshops. I attended one, since I am a big fan of glamour photography and the photographers of which STC boasted. Like any good education, it was overwhelming at first, but I learned so much in those couple of days.
I later got in touch with Jarmo and asked him about the possibility
of a personalized tutoring session or mentorship. He said they were
thinking about something along those lines but hadn’t figured it out
yet. I kept calling and asking him about that type of program and soon
enough, I was doing my first One-on-One over the phone. The results were
impressive, as my photographs instantly became more professional
looking.
Since then, Jarmo and I have done several One-on-One sessions
and each time, I feel my knowledge of HOW to practice and WHAT to
practice grows exponentially. I am confident that the next 10,000 hours I
dedicate to my photography craft will lead me in a positive direction
instead of wasting my time with bad habits and poor techniques.
While I don’t have any “wax on, wax off” philosophy to impart, I
would advise that if you’re thinking about ways to improve your work and
you desire to become a student, make certain to choose your masters
wisely.