Who doesnʼt want to be a confident photographer? Every photographer wants to be. In a way, having confidence allows you to take better photos because you are focused more on being creative rather than criticizing yourself.
Because each photographer is different, the length of time it takes to develop confidence is also different. For some, it might take a few days; for others, it may take years.
If we went back to the time when I started learning photography, you would notice one thing about my shots – they did not include people. I remember going on a week-long vacation taking my new camera with me and all I took were landscapes, trees, clouds, artifacts and ornaments and other inanimate objects. It wasnʼt that I didnʼt want people subjects, it was simply a case of a lack of confidence. In a way, I felt confident taking photos of objects and scenes, but I wasnʼt confident creating shots with people in them. I was not 100% with my skills yet as I was technically new to the craft, especially shots that involved a lot of movement. Also, I didnʼt know how to relate to people as a photographer.
That was then. These days, I find that most of my shots include some human element in there. I just love seeing people in my photos. I have reached a point where I am confident enough to deal with people as a photographer.
Confidence is important in our journey as photographers. The way Iʼve built confidence in this craft may be different from how others have done it, but I would like to share my own process through this guide. I hope that the pointers here will help you develop your confidence as a photographer.
How To Become A Confident Photographer
EVERYONE IS CONFIDENT
Confidence is a mindset and therefore can be developed. Developing confidence will require changes in the way you think.
Ask yourself honestly: are you confident with your photography or not? Whether your answer is yes or no, I would like to tell you that you are already confident. Let me repeat – YOU are confident.
I donʼt have to know you personally to know that you are confident. You might be wondering how thatʼs possible. You are already confident because every single person is confident at something. To be able to grasp this, you need to start thinking of confidence in terms of levels instead of something with a finite value that you either have or donʼt have. When youʼve decided to learn photography, youʼve already taken a step of confidence. Buying a camera is another step. Taking a class is another.
Different people will begin at different levels. Some people will begin at a low confidence level while others at a high confidence level. If you answered no earlier when I asked if you are confident, Iʼm assuming that youʼre starting at a low confidence level. But low confidence is still confidence.
The reason we begin at different confidence levels has a lot to do with our background and history. A computer technician will probably be more confident in using a camera for the first time compared to a creative writer. A painter would have a high confidence level when it comes to composing shots. Our perception of ourselves will also affect our confidence. If you see yourself as a fast learner, then you would begin with a higher confidence level compared to someone who thinks that everything they do is a failure.
The first step in improving confidence is to be aware of your own confidence level and the factors that affect it.
DEFINING YOUR CONFIDENCE LEVEL
Confidence levels are self-imposed. Itʼs not like thereʼs some tool that you can use to measure confidence. When I started out, I had a high confidence level in learning photography. This was due to three reasons: I saw myself as a fast learner when it comes to tech stuff, I always had a knack for art even if I hadnʼt learned about composition at that time, and I liked science experiments. Since photography involves a device, is an art form, and felt sort of like a science experiment to me, I was so confident that I could learn the basics of my camera quickly. At that point, however, I was not yet confident holding an exhibit, shooting an event, or taking a friendʼs portrait. My confidence level was still limited to learning photography.
How about you? What is it about photography that you can say youʼre confident with?
Name the next step in your photography journey that youʼre not confident with yet.
CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE
If youʼve watched any American Idol auditions or any reality TV talent show, youʼll see how some people will seem very confident about their singing skills only to get rejected by the judges because they were out of tune the whole time or had a seriously bizarre performance.
I have met quite a number of people who are confident with their photography but with skills not at par with their confidence level. I have also seen those who display quite an amazing talent but fail to see the potential they carry. Iʼm sure you have met individuals like that yourself whether in relation to photography or elsewhere.
This shows us that confidence does not equal competence. And this is good news because it tells us that being confident in our photography has everything to do with how we see ourselves in relation to our craft.
Having confidence is a good thing. Use this to propel you to improve your skills. The more you condition your mind that you are able to do something, the more confident you can become.
In the same way, although confidence doesnʼt mean competence, competence leads to confidence. The more you improve your photography skills, the more confident you become. When you feel competent, you will feel confident. It is very hard to feel confident when you donʼt feel competent. And the best way to feel competent is when you have acquired the skills that tell you that you are competent.
For beginners, competence requires learning the fundamentals of photography – at the very least you should be able to take control of your shots with your camera, having knowledge of settings and how to use them in different lighting conditions. Then continue learning your craft by gaining knowledge about composition and lighting. This will make you feel competent.
ASSESSING YOUR COMPETENCE
To succeed in any craft, there should always be a balance of mindset and skill. One requires the other to attain a healthy dose of self-confidence in a photographer. Why is this important? Imagine boasting to a client that you can do a project only to fail miserably because all you had was the confidence but not the skill to execute it. This is an unhealthy kind of confidence that may backfire when real skills are required. Remember the American Idol example? This is why seeing confidence in terms of levels is helpful in gauging where you truly are in your photography.
Gaining confidence also requires the ability to assess yourself fairly so it is important to also assess your competence.
The way you can assess your competence is by way of asking questions about your skills and truthfully answering them. This is about going beyond “Yes, I can do it” to “Yes, this is how I will do it.”
Can I create a long exposure shot of the ocean? If yes, how will I do it? Can I produce a long exposure shot at midday? If not, why not? If yes, how? Trust is the foundation of confidence and people usually trust experience. If you have prior experience, then you can use that to your advantage.
YOU ARE IMPROVING
Hereʼs some truth that you may not know if youʼre starting out in photography. Between now and a couple years from today, if you continue learning photography, you will have a different opinion about your own shots that you consider beautiful.
I always look back at what I used to consider as my exhibit-worthy shots only to realize a few years later that I wouldnʼt even keep them if I created them today.
Is that a bad thing? No. It only shows that my standard of beautiful photos has increased. It is a sign of improvement. The frequency of this happening becomes less as you mature as a photographer.
ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE CONFIDENCE
Because confidence is a mindset, there are a few things you can do to shape it.
Before I explain how, letʼs talk about mindsets for a bit. Mindsets are preconceived perceptions of ourselves and the things around us. If we think we are hopeless, then we will act as if this is true in our life. If we think life is full of good opportunities, chances are that we will find many opportunities because our mind is conditioned to look for them. What does this have to do with confidence? Simple: if you think youʼre confident, you will act confident. If you think youʼre not, you will act as if youʼre not.
Changing mindsets requires one of two things: emotional impact or repetition.
When you have a perception that youʼre in a good neighborhood, it only takes one assault encounter for you to suddenly think otherwise. When youʼre learning photography and someone you trust and look up to suddenly discourages you saying that your art is hopeless, that will surely make you feel disheartened no matter how hard you try. Thatʼs emotional impact. Of course, this is a general observation. Iʼve encountered a few who are used to rejecting negative opinion about them even if itʼs someone they trust.
Emotional impact can also be in a revelatory nature. Your mind simply shifts when you discover something about yourself that is opposite of what you used to think. If you find out that someone you trust is betraying you, or if you find a rumored criminal helping the needy, then this can change your perception about the person.
Repetition also helps change mindsets. If you think that people are not kind, but continuously see acts of kindness every day, then this could change the way you think. Repetition is simply doing things over and over again. To change a mindset, you have to do things against the grain, against what youʼre used to.
If you think youʼre not confident, you have to do activities that are opposite of what unconfident people do, over and over and over. This takes time, but if it becomes a habit, it can change the way you see yourself.
Next, Iʼve listed eight things that you can do to improve your confidence. It can be by way of emotional impact, repetition, or both.
OBTAIN KNOWLEDGE
Obtaining knowledge is probably the easiest and the most obvious way to improve confidence. This is done by reading books, watching videos, attending photography classes, learning from a pro, etc. Even without trying out what we have learned, the idea that you know more makes you feel confident.
Itʼs a good habit though to try out and practice what we have recently learned. New information allows us to do something differently and this helps us to learn more and gain more knowledge. Essentially we become more competent when we are able to apply the knowledge we have obtained.
Let me just say it again – competence leads to confidence.
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO MOTIVATE YOU
One of the best ways to use repetition in terms of confidence is to be with people who can motivate you. When you hear good things, in a way, it increases your confidence level a little bit. Hang out with positive people who are natural encouragers. Keep your photos away from negative people. I do not suggest shunning any form of critique – critique is healthy when done constructively. Find people who can give constructive critique rather than simple criticism.
A lot of times, people focus on the negative aspect of photographs when they give critique. This is ok. But if someone critiques in a way that focuses on your incapability or degrades you as an artist, stay away from them. A constructive critique can be something like, ‘This
photo is a little underexposed, and the lighting is also a bit flat. It might work better if you process it a bit,ʼ as opposed to, ‘Thatʼs an ugly photo. Itʼs trash! You should never have decided to take up photography.ʼ
Normally you would want to go to people who can encourage you regardless if they know photography or not. If you can find photography mentors with positive attitudes, then thatʼs better. Being surrounded by people you trust and who can motivate you is a mix of repetition and emotional impact.
DISCOVER YOUR LEARNING STYLE GENIUS
A friend of mine had always thought he was a slow learner. He had this mindset because he didnʼt think hhe had the ability to memorize or easily grasp technical concepts. But because he had a friend who knew about learning methodologies, he no longer thinks that. He has gained confidence in herself because he saw that he was actually good at learning a certain way.
How did I do it?
I asked him to tell me why he thinks he was a slow learner, and he enumerated the reasons to me. Back when he was still studying, when a teacher explained something, most of the time he wouldnʼt understand it. When he needed to memorize a portion of a text book, he couldnʼt. When heʼs reading a philosophical quote, he finds it hard to grasp.
Although I am not a psychologist, my experience with coaching and adult learning tells me that his strength doesnʼt lie in that kind of learning. I would like to think itʼs because he naturally gets bored with those things. He doesnʼt learn best that way.
Then I asked him, “When you need to learn a dance move, do you quickly get it,” because I have observed that he dances well. He said “Yes.” He could easily follow along when someone was dancing.
How is that possible? Itʼs because his learning style genius is in her artistic motor skills. For him to learn, it has to be something that is demonstrated to him and he can physically try on her own. You donʼt have to hold his hand while doing it. He can figure it out on her own just by watching. He can also memorize things if it involves music, dance, or anything physical.
He learns fast when itʼs something that taps into her right brain – the side of the brain thatʼs responsible for creativity, intuition, and imagination. Heʼs also been doing some phone photography on his own without my help and I can see that he has a natural intuitive skill in composition.
After telling my friend all this, he had an ‘ahaʼ moment and his face lit up. Something in his mind shifted.
I asked him a couple days after that if he still feels heʼs a slow learner, and he smiled and said, ‘No, I learn fast.ʼ My friend now feels more confident about himself. It only took one moment to change the way he thought about himself. Itʼs a mindset shift by emotional impact.
Nowadays, when heʼs having difficulty learning something, he finds a way to learn it using his own learning-style genius.
When you focus on a learning style that is not your own, you will feel incompetent.
LEARN IT BEFORE THE SHOOT
Hereʼs a tip that can help boost your confidence: Your success lies in your ability to prepare.
For me, preparation looks like replicating the shots through practice shoots so that I will feel confident enough in the actual paid gig. I will do this until I know I can do it perfectly. Serious landscape photographers oftentimes survey their location hours or even days before they actually intend to shoot.
Yours can look different, but here are some things you can do.
1. Assist in another similar photoshoot.
2. Become an apprentice of a professional photographer specializing in that genre. If you need to shoot food, then apprentice for a professional food photographer.
3. For weddings and events, attend similar events. If you can, offer to assist or shoot as a second or third photographer. There wonʼt be a lot of pressure compared to being the primary photographer.
4. Survey the location, assess the lighting situation, and look for backdrops prior to the event date.
5. Study tutorials and practice what you learn. If a friend asks you to take her daughterʼs portrait, look for a comprehensive guide on portraiture like The Art of Portrait Photography book.
6. Prepare for the worst. Consider the possibility of things going wrong – a broken camera, rain during the event, corrupted media cards, etc.
SET SHORT-TERM SKILL GOALS
Iʼm a big fan of setting goals. Goals can help propel you into the next level. It gives you a target to follow and a tool to gauge what you have accomplished. Itʼs a good way to motivate and boost confidence both by repetition and emotional impact.
Most people are wired to set goals. Just ask anyone what they want to accomplish and almost everyone can think of something to achieve or acquire.
Since this is not a guide on goal-setting, we will not cover the details on how to set a goal.
But I urge you to think of goals or objectives that focus on improving your photography skills. Make them realistic and achievable in the next one to three months. Short-term goals work best when learning crafts and doing projects.
Letʼs say youʼre a photographer who wants to become a professional in the portrait genre. Depending on your skill level, your three-month goal can include being able to get off the auto settings and use manual settings, accomplishing at least three portrait sessions with friends or family, learning about several lighting setups, or being able to retouch portraits using Lightroom.
After three months, whether or not youʼve completed your goal, look back and compare before and after photos of what you have achieved. Iʼm pretty sure you will have accomplished a lot. This will give you a boost in your confidence.
LEARN THE BODY LANGUAGE OF ACTING CONFIDENT
Itʼs hard to be friendly with people and feel negative about life. In the same way, being confident requires acting confident. Itʼs not a “fake it till you make it” concept. Remember, try to match your confidence with your skill. You donʼt have to pretend you have the skill when you donʼt, but donʼt put yourself down either.
Conduct yourself in a manner in which it looks like you have some respect for yourself. Relax your shoulders and lift your chin up. Look forward when youʼre conversing with people; look them in the eye like you would a friend. You may not be used to it now, but youʼll get the hang of it over time.
Have you ever observed how confident people act? Take some time to watch people at a library, coffee shop, or just at the park. Try to guess which ones are confident based on their body language. Observe quiet ones and see which of them are shy and which are confident. Take note of your observations.
COMMIT TO TEACHING SOMEONE WITH A LESSER SKILL LEVEL
Ask any teacher and they will confirm that the best way to learn is to teach others. First, teaching forces you to repeat things that you already know. It also forces you to improve your own methods. When youʼre teaching someone, you are sure to encounter questions from your student. When you encounter a question that you donʼt know, it forces you to search for the answer to the question.
Find yourself a student, preferably someone in your neighborhood so you can spend time shooting together. It can be your grandchild, your friend, your mom, your neighbor – anyone who wants to learn photography. Join a local camera club and actively support those who are new. Believe me, they will appreciate you for it.
BEGIN WITH WHAT DOES NOT INTIMIDATE YOU
Iʼve had my share of bad experiences in photography. One of my clients, a commercial airline company, asked if I could take portraits of their executive team. During this time, I was pretty confident with my travel photography and this is why they hired me in the first place. Although I had done a couple of studio portrait sessions in the past, my skills on portraiture were really limited within the context of travel. The worst part of all this was that I was intimidated by Big Corp executives.
But my client insisted and I eventually agreed. It was another case of “because youʼre good at that genre, you must be good at this genre too.” It was a really bad idea.
The shoot day came and they only gave me a few minutes to prepare. I trembled at the idea of having old men executives who wore serious faces as subjects. The thought made me fumble with camera settings as if I had some sort of mental block. I felt like a beginner trying to figure out manual mode for the first time. It was as if my camera wouldnʼt cooperate with me.
My shots were so bad I almost gave up fixing it in Photoshop. Asking for a reshoot was also embarrassing and I didnʼt want another encounter with them again. Good thing they didnʼt need high- resolution images; although Iʼm not even sure if they ever used the photos.
Iʼm not at all suggesting that you should avoid stepping out of your comfort zone – I encourage you to. But do it in such a way that you transition into it. When learning the technical side of photography, it is always best to feel comfortable. You donʼt need an extra thought in there that attacks your thoughts negatively. Imagine youʼre trying to figure out how metering modes work and thereʼs this other thought that tells you “your shots are not good enough,” or “your friend will be furious when she sees that photo you took of her.” Itʼs difficult to concentrate when that happens.
Start practicing with what does not intimidate you until you have mastered the essentials. Once it becomes second nature to you, step out of your comfort zone and start practicing with subjects that make your heart beat faster. Continue doing it until what used to be intimidating isnʼt too uncomfortable anymore.
Hereʼs an idea. If youʼre interested in people photography and youʼre intimidated by people, develop your camera settings, composition, and lighting skills on inanimate objects first. Once you get this done, find people you trust and use them as your models. Work on photography skills with people youʼre not intimidated by until youʼre ready to take on more challenging subjects. Continue developing your skills in this genre by reading up on people photography.
Do this until you feel competent. Remember, competence leads to confidence.
CONCLUSION
I always love seeing new photographers get excited about this craft. Thereʼs just this passion and enthusiasm that feels as if itʼs something tangible. And if thereʼs something that increases confidence like no other, it is that drive and willingness to do anything so that you can get to where you want to be and take photos youʼve never taken before. Hope sparks confidence.
At the beginning of the guide, I asked you if you were confident. What was your answer?
How about now? Do you feel a bit more confident now than you did earlier? I hope you do, because that is hope at work. It means youʼve learned a few things today that you can do so that you can get better. In the process you become more competent, which in turn makes you more confident, which again motivates you to become more competent. Itʼs a never-ending cycle.
So what are you waiting for? Pick up your camera and start shooting with your new confident self.
Quick Activity:
There are different types of learning methodologies, and it will take time for us to discuss it here, but hereʼs an activity that may help.
Just answer these questions:
Think of a time in your life when youʼve learned something and had fun doing it. Which of your five senses were involved?
When you want to learn something new, which of these styles do you learn best with: observing demos, researching, reading and memorizing, practicing, imitating others, listening over and over, using your imagination, role playing, experimenting, challenging yourself, etc.? One of these may be where your learning-style genius lies.
Which of the styles listed in in the previous question are you having trouble learning with?
Now, can you apply it in your photography? If you learn best by watching, then watch. If you learn best by imitation, then imitate. If you learn best by experimentation, then experiment.
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