How long....?

I consider myself as still getting there. It is like the question Have you made it? and, to me if you think you have, you really havent. Im the type that always thinks there is room for improvement.
 
Good means different things to different people. Good to me means being able to go head to head against an experienced competent professional, and come out even or on top. It has nothing to do with time, but effort and focus. It took me about 200,000 pictures with about 47,000 keepers over 2 years to get good.

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I figure another 15-20 thousand more keepers and I will be ready to consider myself as good as a competent professional. Whether I choose to become professional... that was earlier set to no, but since I have been tutoring under a pro wedding photographer, and am REALLY enjoying the process... I don't know anymore. I may turn pro not for the money, but just to enjoy the process of being a good wedding photographer!

 
I have framed 3 images in 5 years. I still suck.:grumpy: If I was good, I would not be hanging around these forums. :lol::lmao::lol:
 
I have framed 3 images in 5 years. I still suck.:grumpy: If I was good, I would not be hanging around these forums. :lol::lmao::lol:

I dunno, ... the stuff I've seen you produce, ...

I think all you need is a shot of Dr. Jonas' "gravy."
(Conspiracy Theory)
 
I'm just blindly answering the original question. :)

Each year I think to myself "Hey, I'm getting pretty good at this." Each year I also look back on last year's pictures and say "Oh my GOD these are HORRIBLE... what the hell was I THINKING?!?!"

To date I have never looked back on a previous year and felt that they were no worse than my current pictures. :)

That being said, right now I think my pictures are pretty darn good and I've been doing this for about 6 years.

:lol:
 
I'm never really pleased with my shots lol I can always pick something wrong with them - the more you learn I think the more you become dissatisfied with what you have taken cause you pick it to shreds compared to other people just viewing it
 
I'd say it took me about 10 years (self taught, college taught, and working in a pro lab), but I think it can be different for everyone. I think it's possible to learn much faster with digital than I did with film. My advice is the sooner you get over the gear and process, and move on to studying art the sooner you'll be making more good photos. Understanding the tools is very important, but way over emphasized by many photographers. You need to understand the fundamentals of why images (photos, paintings, illustrations, whatever...) look the way they do. If you want to see a big improvement in your photographs take Drawing 101 and Basic Design at your local college. These classes are mostly about learning to see. You probably didn't even know that you didn't know how to see? Take those classes and you'll find out. :)

"If I knew how to take a good photograph, I'd do it every time." -Robert Doisneau
 
OK...OK...I get it....you keep learning...growing...changing...learning....whatever...;-) But I'm talking about when you and other people start to realize that you are (finally:greenpbl:)taking some good shots!

There is a world of difference between "some good shots" and being a good photographer. "Some good shots" came about 2 weeks after I got my first dSLR. Being a good photographer, well thats taking me a lot longer. I have no qualms saying it will be decades.

Whenever I want a fast and easy pat on the back, I just show my mom the back of my camera and she never fails the "thats a really good picture, Jerry..." pat on the back, however, no one is paying me $5000 per shutter press yet, so I guess there is a ways to go yet.

Want a rhetoric question? How good do YOU want to become?
 
I've had a point and shoot for about 3 years now and now that I'm looking towards a DSLR, I mostly stick to manual mode to get the practice in for the new camera. I'm still learning mostly on my own and a lot from this forum. I don't have anyone to teach me. My grandfather was into it but I never got to meet him. Runs in the family I guess. I just love taking pictures. :camera:
 
Like Jerry, it was about two weeks after my first camera that I was taking good shots (the very first images on my Flickr not among them). I definitely think that in my first two months, my understanding of thing like composition and lighting have really come along, and I just recently started seriously throwing flash into my work, and am pleased with my results for the most part. I know I can do better of course, but I know the limitations of on-camera only lighting and plan to rectify that soon.

In the long run, I know I'd like to become a good photographer, but never for the money (though living a good life and paying for it with photography would be nice). I need to keep the passion all the way though, and that is something I think I can do, because I love picking up all those little new tricks and tips along the way.

Maybe if a photog is feeling burnt-out, they should take a sabbatical. :p
 

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