what makes photography hard?

[vintagesnaps]

How can you become a good chef? Get the necessary supplies, a cookbook, pick a recipe that sounds good to try. Make another recipe, and another, and what you like, make again. Eventually you'll find out if you like cooking, or you might decide just to learn enough recipes to cook for yourself/your family.

Go out and play around with your camera and experiment and have fun with it. Try it and figure out if it's for you or not. If not sell the camera, or just put it on auto and use it to take pictures on holidays, vacations, etc.

You've gotten suggestions, pick one to try and start with that. Then try another idea and go from there.

 

[texxter]

now if done correctly, all the images will come out great depending on the lighting conditions and composition. everything else is done in post processing. so, what makes one photographer stands out from another before post processing? why do people claim photography is hard when understanding the fundamental are all there to it?

A good analogy is piano playing. Understanding musical notes, scales, and reading music is not very difficult. Playing piano well is immensely difficult, even though the elements are not difficult by themselves. An even more compelling analogy is writing. We all know how to write words in at least one language, so how difficult is it to get the Nobel Prize in Literature? It is extremely hard.

Understanding the fundamentals is *not* all there is to it. The mechanics are simple. It's the creativity, access to the right places and people, the practice to do it well consistently, the ability to see light, to choose light, to control light, to elicit emotions with images... there is so much to an outstanding photograph beyond f-stops and focus. A good way to learn is to become acquainted with the different genres in photography and to learn about the masters. Then shoot, shoot and shoot some more.

 

[Jeff G]

Creativity is a big plus, a little harder to teach. Most people fall into two categories , technical or creative. The trick is to balance the two. Not everyone can. I fall more in the creative side, and personally struggle with the technical side. I tend to "feel" whats right rather than use a formula. Sounds like a bunch of crap, but the other creative folks know what I mean.

I envy the people who can memorize all the formulas and tricks.

 

[StevenW]

What is hard is seeing a scene or a subject then making the decisions about how to expose it, frame it, compose it so the photograph reveals it as desired image. Learning to see light might be a difficult skill and further how shadow rather than light reveals texture. Experience is something that cannot be taught. When you are young you know what you know but what you do not know escapes you. Experience is what teaches the lessons we didn't know we needed.

 

[Designer]

what makes photography hard?

Probably many things, but a few things jump out:

1. Thinking that you absolutely MUST use full manual mode at all times.

2. Trying to master back-button focusing when you don't know why.

3. Being a "natural light" photographer because you haven't taken the time or effort to learn flash.

4. Assuming you can fix any problem in editing.

5. Trying to do photography without considering the light.

6. Trying to copy some famous photographer's style without first learning the basics.

There are more, but my fingers are tired.

 

[dennyr]

....... why do people claim photography is hard when understanding the fundamental are all there to it?

Steering wheel, brakes, gas pedal, blind spots, signals, speed limit..... Got It.!
So why are there so many car wrecks.?

You know how to operate a camera, but do you know how to be a good photographer.?
Cameras do not take zhitty pictures..... people do.

 

[weepete]

F8 and be there

 

[Grandpa Ron]

All of this is good information but theory hits the cold light truck reality when you push the shutter.

Much of what can happen won't and a lot of what does happen you never anticipated.

Experience has no short cuts, so grab you camera and enjoy the ride.

 

[Evertking]

Man, you can study all day long and watch videos, read books... BUT its all in the brain, what makes a really good photographer stand out.
Take the work of Bryan Peterson, Tony Sweet, and even Adam Gibbs.. these guys just see and are able to string together shape, form, color, and texture and could make a compelling photograph in my spare bathroom.
I like to think this skill can be taught but I'm guessing it cant and some have what it takes to be amazing.

 

[ph0toe]

okay, so i read all of your answers, and I now understand that more goes into the photograph than just knowing the know-hows.

Many of you guys suggest experience, but what experience are you talking? experience of taking multitude of pictures? testing out different composition, framing, drawing an outline of how I want the end pic to turn out?

taking a pic of a bus and using its reflection to create something dramatic?

 

[Soocom1]

okay, so i read all of your answers, and I now understand that more goes into the photograph than just knowing the know-hows.

Many of you guys suggest experience, but what experience are you talking? experience of taking multitude of pictures? testing out different composition, framing, drawing an outline of how I want the end pic to turn out?

taking a pic of a bus and using its reflection to create something dramatic?

Sometimes the exposure is spot on but the image doesn't "look" right. This could be simply composure or angle or something else.
The experience is just that.
Doing.

Seeing what makes the image not "look" right.

Unless you do and repeat and see the effect, you wont know what actually works.

Another way of saying this is that you can know that fire is hot, but until you put your hand in it. you don't know HOW hot.
So you learn by doing.
do, do it again, and keep on doing.

 

[Derrel]

I have been involved with photography for over 45 years. How about you? How long have you been taking pictures? Have you taken any classes or courses in photography? How many books about photography have you read? Do you subscribe to any magazines about photography? Do you read any blogs or websites dedicated to photography?

The more you study about the field, the more you will learn. Once you reach a certain level of proficiency, it becomes easy to do all sorts of things in photography. Keep at it. Keep improving. Keep on clicking! Imagine this: if you can improve your skill level just 10% a year, in 10 years you'll become extremely good !

 

[ph0toe]

Thanks for the replies guys, ya'll are wonderful. This is the kind of commemory we need in this community. cheers
I will revisit back and post frequency and hopefully someday I can look back and see huge improvement, and I hope ya'll will give me constructive criticism.

 

[OGsPhotography]

Jay Ingram said or suggested 10,000 hours to become expert at something ( anything)

Ansel Adams perhaps ( ) said or suggested the first 10,000 photos are your worse.

I think both apply.

Now that Im approaching 20,000 photos Im like yeah, no, I’ll see ya in another 10 years and 20,000 more clicks!

Full time is 1650 hours/ yr.

 

[dennyr]

okay, so i read all of your answers, and I now understand that more goes into the photograph than just knowing the know-hows.

Many of you guys suggest experience, but what experience are you talking? experience of taking multitude of pictures? testing out different composition, framing, drawing an outline of how I want the end pic to turn out?

taking a pic of a bus and using its reflection to create something dramatic?

What do you do for a living.?
You do not need to answer if you do not want to, but you get the gist......... even if you went to a college or a trade school, after you got through with that, how long did it take you to become a Good/Experienced ... dentist, auto mechanic, carpet installer, chemist, orthopedic surgeon, landscaper, pilot, roofer, Etc etc.
You are not even out of school yet (regards photography) so you have a long ways to go.
But you have made several good observations in your post above.
Repetition is not The ONLY requirement, but it is one of them.
Take a class at your local college, watch videos on Youtube, read photo forums, look at photo books by some of the "Iconic" Photographers in several different genres of photography.

Some of our members, like Derrel, have been at this for 45 years. And yes, he is usually ANSWERING Questions, but he also still learns new info from others.
You seem to have the honest desire to become a decent (and when i say "decent" i do not mean mediocre) photographer. There is no reason you will not improve (quite a lot) every year.
Good Luck my friend