# 5 Quick Bits of Advice for Beginning Photographers - Article



## runnah (Nov 27, 2013)

5 Quick Bits of Advice for Beginning Photographers «  | Photography Tips, Photography Tutorials, Articles, & Videos | Photography Tips, Photography Tutorials, Articles and Videos

Could not have said it better myself. Hard to pick a favorite.


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## amolitor (Nov 27, 2013)

The business about "don't listen to anyone if you don't like their pictures" is silly, but the rest is pretty solid.


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## runnah (Nov 27, 2013)

amolitor said:


> The business about "don't listen to anyone if you don't like their pictures" is silly, but the rest is pretty solid.



Really? I liked that one and agree with that idea. Seeing a person's quality of work tell you how much of a grain of salt to take their advice with.


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## Ysarex (Nov 27, 2013)

runnah said:


> 5 Quick Bits of Advice for Beginning Photographers « *| Photography Tips, Photography Tutorials, Articles, & Videos | Photography Tips, Photography Tutorials, Articles and Videos
> 
> Could not have said it better myself. Hard to pick a favorite.



:thumbup:  Definitely #1.

Joe


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## amolitor (Nov 27, 2013)

It depends on what they're advising you on, I guess. There are probably some artistic things one might advise on that would be basically based on your work, for instance. But as a general rule for life, evaluating the advice itself for accuracy, relevance, and usefulness is probably a better way to go.


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## runnah (Nov 27, 2013)

amolitor said:


> It depends on what they're advising you on, I guess. There are probably some artistic things one might advise on that would be basically based on your work, for instance. But as a general rule for life, evaluating the advice itself for accuracy, relevance, and usefulness is probably a better way to go.



I get what you are saying. The whole "new set of eyes" is often helpful when it comes to creative problem solving. 

When it comes down to it there are certain people here that I have great respect for their work and take their advice to heart. Others I could not care less about.


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## amolitor (Nov 27, 2013)

Given the sheer amount of advice out there you can probably usefully use any criterion you like. Only take advice from women over 6' 2" tall, and you'll still have more than you can handle. So, in that sense I suppose if you stick to people with pictures you like. no harm done!


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## runnah (Nov 27, 2013)

amolitor said:


> Given the sheer amount of advice out there you can probably usefully use any criterion you like. Only take advice from women over 6' 2" tall, and you'll still have more than you can handle. So, in that sense I suppose if you stick to people with pictures you like. no harm done!



It's good to have some sort or criteria other wise you get swamped. Look at the many "What XX should I buy?" threads, no two posts agree with each other. It's all very confusing.


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## mmaria (Nov 27, 2013)

:thumbup:


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## Overread (Nov 27, 2013)

I'm not sure how serious that article is. 

1) States that other photographers (online and in clubs) along with books (even pro books) are all unreliable and shouldn't be used - so who can you learn from?

2) Sounds good but ignores the fact that theory can surpass skill - many a teacher can teach the theory of a subject without being the top skilled person at that subject

3) Probably true but sort of is just repeating what point 1 said

4) Tricks and teaching aids are different things 

5) Wait what no critique? 

I get the feeling it started with some good ideas but the examples and presentation just sound confusing and a bit missplaced.


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## rexbobcat (Nov 27, 2013)

Yeah...it kinda gives off the vibe that writer thinks the reader doesn't have many critical thinking skills. 

"Don't listen to everyone's opinions, because they might not know what they're talking about." 

Um, thanks? Lol


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## Derrel (Nov 27, 2013)

rexbobcat said:


> Yeah...it kinda gives off the vibe that writer thinks the reader doesn't have many critical thinking skills.
> 
> "Don't listen to everyone's opinions, because they might not know what they're talking about."
> 
> Um, thanks? Lol



I have to agree with Rex on #5...not listening to others' experience and aesthetic judgement is why the internet is FILLED with dead-space 75%, head-lopped-off-toddler "portraits" where the kid represents maybe 25% of the frame...it's the way a lot of newbies shoot because they have ZERO idea about compositon, design, or making a pose agree with the framing of a photograph.

Just as a comparison, imagine this article were written for beginning automobile drivers:

*5. Don't seek approval from others. *
I get a lot of requests to help students learn to drive. I understand that with my considerable experience and knowledge, you might think my opinion of your driving skill is important. But let me be frank: it isn't. My opinion doesn't matter and neither does any instructor's. Your friends' and family's opinions don't matter either. You're the one driving the car or truck. If you are happy with your level of driving skill, then mission accomplished. Of course, this is different if you are trying to not get killed within a year of learning to drive. Then it's your responsibility to MAYBE try and educate your ignorant ass. But if this is just your parents' car, then don't try to please anyone but yourself.

As you get onto the Interstate Freeway system, people will start to serve up their opinions without really being asked. You'll get a hundred positive opinions for every 1 negative opinion. The 100 positive responses will dissolve entirely in the acid of that one major-injury car crash or multi-car pile-up that you caused.But just keep in mind that the negative feedback is worthless and is usually grown from a negative personality, not from your ignorance of the rules of the road and your ignorance of the laws of your state. Most people are too polite to honk and flip you off, even if what your stupid ass did might have got somebody killed. valid. The ones who voice their negativity are usually experienced drivers themselves and they just need to bring your dumb ass up to their level. Don't let horn honking, legal drivers keep you from being a menace to the public and to yourself. YOU DON'T NEED ANY HELP from ANYBODY, especially older, more-experienced drivers.


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## Overread (Nov 27, 2013)

I think you could summarise most of the points by saying:

"Don't assume that one person knows all the answers. No matter who they are always cross reference what they tell you with other sources." 

Which seems to be at the core of what the author is trying to say, but for some reason they've broken it up into groups which tends to make it sound like its more about listening to the group or type of person than it is the actual facts being said.




Darn it Derrel are you spying on me
*is going through all that learning to drive phase!
its actually interesting in another light as one watches the teacher and tries to see the methods and tools they are using to teach; not just the teaching theories but the methods of dealing one on one with a student*


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## pixmedic (Nov 27, 2013)

that entire article is rubbish says I. 

to me, rule #1 complete forfeits the rest of the entire article. 
don't take any advice from other photographers, even pros. use a more reputable source....like a plumber. 
mainstream books are WRONG! listen to my blog instead!!
I am assuming of course, that it was written by a photographer. 

#2 seriously?  
i can almost respect that statement. _*almost. *_
it is highly susceptible though to the interpretation of who is viewing what sort of pictures, as apposed to what type of pictures you are looking for help with. 

#3 really?? i have met quite a few extremely knowledgeable and talented salespeople in my local camera store. almost all of them are/were professional photographers, or serious hobbyists.  If you go to wal mart or best buy maybe this is true....but not as much for _*real*_ camera stores. not by my experiences anyway. 

#4 again, really? ok fine...so whoever wrote this article is _*obviously *_a genius with a photographic (pun intended) memory that can instantly learn things right from the book through osmosis. totally wrong about "tricks" though. there are tricks to learning how to do everything. "you just learned how to do it"....bull. 
people "learn" how to do things by using little tricks and memory techniques. how are "tricks" flawed, if the end result is the same as if it were done "by the book"?
the answer of course, is they are not. and the author here is just taking another opportunity to offhandedly brag about how much smarter they are than the rest of us. 

#5 the author, using their _*considerable *_experience and knowledge, has saved the best (read:most ridiculous) for last. 
yes. ALL negative feedback is useless and comes from bad people who are failed artists and will probably just kill themselves later. so don't listen to them. they are probably all emo anyways. 
you know what, don't listen to positive feedback either. because opinions dont matter. apparently they dont help you grow, or learn, or fix problems....or anything even remotely useful. dont listen to anyone. not your friends, your family, your instructors, your photography peers, pros....just listen to yourself, while learning through osmosis, since "tricks" dont work anyway and are usually wrong. 

so after ALL that rambling about how you shouldn't use "tricks", and you shouldn't get feedback from others, and you should "beware of other photographers"...
WHAT is on the top of this guys webpage???


wait for it....




*Photography Tips, Tutorials, Articles, & Video


*yea.....go figure.


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## Derrel (Nov 27, 2013)

Echoing Pixmedic's thoughts...emo C&C givers are the worst scum on the planet!


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## Derrel (Nov 27, 2013)

I went back and re-read the article. I didn't want to dismiss it out of hand, entirely. It does have some nuggets of wisdom, but is also has a sort of Ken Rockwellian flippant tone that (inadvertently?) invalidates some of the points he tries to make. I thought #5 was utterly LAME. But that's one of the problems with one-man blog posts--no editing, no filtering, no guidance from somebody who can read the writer's WORDS, and see what he has actually WRITTEN, and who can then give the blogger some editor's advice on how well what was written actually conveyed the IDEA the writer tried to convey.

If he had said in Tip #5, "have the courage of your convictions, and believe in your photography, believe in your artistic goals," his Tip #5 would have made some actual SENSE. Instead, he went kind of Ken Rockwell on that, and drifted off into hyperbole, and then crossed the center line and ran head on into a truckload of nonsense bound for the San Diego airport Ikea store...

Still, I suppose there are some good points too. Like not trusting camera store sales people blindly. It depends on the store, and the sales associate I think. And the internet is filled with the blind leading the blind. But ya know, a lot of blind people have very good hearing and refined senses of smell, so...


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## JRuby (Dec 12, 2013)

Some of the other article on the site are a bit more of a help, but i agree with the above.
Ive alot to learn. :/


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## bc_steve (Dec 17, 2013)

Overread said:


> I'm not sure how serious that article is.
> 
> 1) States that other photographers (online and in clubs) along with books (even pro books) are all unreliable and shouldn't be used - so who can you learn from?
> 
> ...



yep, he really lost me on #5.  You may get 1 negative response amid a hundred pats on the back, but that criticism i much more likely to help you grow as a photographer.  Don't let it get you down, and don't ignore it.  Learn from it.


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