When we photographers get together on Social Media or in person at events and meetings we all share a strong unspoken bond. Early on we felt a connection to the medium. Picking up a camera and framing a scene in the viewfinder was an exhilarating experience. We got comfortable taking pictures and excited by the results. As we continued our journey, we began to feel that our vision had a voice.
Some of us continued with photography in a more serious way and became professionals; either as commercial photographers or fine art photographers. We learned that we were communicators. When we took pictures, we found ourselves telling stories about our world and about ourselves, stories that could move our audiences emotionally.
When I talk with my colleagues I am always impressed with their passion and desire to keep growing as artists and as business people. We attend industry events, and read blogs and forums. We pay attention to new equipment and photographic styles. We seek “applause” from our clients, our communities and the general public. We look at the fine work being produced by our contemporaries and the great photographers of the past. We learn from all of them. We submit our work to exhibitions and photo contests. We are proud when our work is published.
After some time, many of us seek out our industry’s professional organizations like APA, ASMP, PPA and others. We enjoy the camaraderie and mentoring opportunities these organizations offer as well as the ongoing conversations of art, photo techniques marketing and business practices.
We work hard to succeed and in most cases, this hard work has paid off by providing us a rich career doing what we love and working with so many talented people in professional settings.