In my last post I mentioned, that there is more to shooting professionally than simply having a prerequisite set of skills, competence and experience. I suggested one method of ensuring that the images we capture and display meet or exceed both our own and our clients' expectations was to remember the love that was responsible for us choosing this path no matter how long ago or recently that may have been. Hence the exhortation to shoot like an amateur. This exhortation, to shoot like an amateur, should not be misinterpreted as a suggestion that there is little or no difference between an amateur and a professional shooting.
The above portrait of a young girl, shot many, many years ago, was the result of my first portrait session for which a client paid money. I thought I had joined the ranks of the professionals. In reality I was shooting like an amateur and ended up paying dearly for my ignorance and spent almost as much time in the darkroom compensating for my errors as Eugene W. Smith routinely did creating his fine masterpieces.
The first lesson learned here was that shooting high speed film in bright sunlight and then using my usual developer was not the easiest way to go about delivering what the client was hoping for.
The second lesson learned was that excuses "but, but but we never usually have bright sunny days on the West Coast of Scotland!" just don't cut the mustard.
Third lesson: You cannot shoot with the belief that if it does not work the first time you can always reshoot. This client was far away before I had time to waste my first sheet of paper trying to print something, gosh anything.
Fourth lesson; Correcting mistakes is expensive not only as regards the time involved to do so but also in this case in purchasing additional boxes of photographic paper.
Fifth lesson: Learn from the mistakes; Understand why the results desired were not obtained and how to avoid them in the future.
The big lesson though is possibly best summed-up by understanding something that Edward Weston said many years ago:
I've used the above quotation in my teachings for many years simply because it echoes the words & approach of my earliest mentors and it also serves to remind me that I already have all the equipment necessary to produce good images. To produce "great" images I also possess my eye and brain. I just have to use them wisely.
I have a camera with me most times when I venture out. When I take a photograph it is for me. If it works that is good. If it does not live up to my expectations I am the only one dissapointed. Therein lies the main difference between shooting professionaly and shooting as an amateur. The professional has to to come home with the images each and every single time, no excuses.
