Watching and Learning - Part 1

When photography students ask me, how I became a Photographer, I tell them the process of how I became a photojournalist and how I was continually learning all the time with each situation I entered. Also my fantastic colleagues who never tired of giving me little pointers and advice along the way.

Working for newspapers, you never know where you will end up or what each day will bring. They can include the more mundane stories such as a Ribbon-Cutting event with the local Mayor, angry residents complaining about speed humps in their road, environmental issues such as dumped rubbish, Fish and Chip Shop features as in my last post and so much more.

But it's not all boring. The advantage is you can meet so many interesting people and be invited into events you could only dream of attending. There are so many amazing people out there and I feel priviledged to have met so many of them and share their stories in my job.

There are so many press jobs I remember and think wow, that was amazing! The feeling of hugging Wembley Arena stage, when I photographed the Gurjurat Earthquake Appeal Concert, walking around Watford with John and Norma Major meeting the people before having a one-on-one Q&A session with them. The excitement on children's faces as they let 100 red balloons into the sky for Comic Relief, the emotion of siblings seperated as evacuees reunited 60 years on, going underground into a reservoir which you know will be filled with water a few days later, sitting on the edge of the pitch photographing your favorite premiership football team!

Watching how other photographers work is invaluable training. You could be in any situation, at a wedding, at a Festival, or even in a local photography studio. The trick is to watch and learn! Make notes - how many cameras/lenses does the photographer use? Ask questions about their preferred equipment. How does the photographer interact with the subjects? You need confident people skills as well as competent technical skills to succeed at photography. How long did the photographer take to photograph each subject? Most of the time you need to be very quick, from meeting or viewing the subject, assessing light, which equipment to use, exposure, shutter speed, composition. A photographer has a lot to think of while he/she gains the confidence of the subject in order to direct successfully to create the shot.

One of the best ways to learn about photography is to look at exhibitions. Galleries provide the best viewing experience as you can see the image in context, framed and sometimes you can meet the photographer or curator and ask questions. The internet on the other hand is an amazing tool, you can view thousands of photographers' work without leaving your own home!

I have to say the best way to learn is by taking lots of photos and learning from your mistakes. Enrol on a good college course or join a local amateur photography group. Show your photos to others and get feedback. This is how I started and with constant positive feedback and my ability to take constructive criticism, is how I persued my hunger for learning more. To this day I am still learning. Although technologies are changing constantly, the fundamentals of photography remain the same.

Look out for my next post on becoming a Photographer's assistant.