Intimidating

The photography industry is intimidating. The wedding photography industry is even more. I saw that first hand when I went to a bridal show on Saturday just to see what it’s like. There were a lot of really good photographers, and a lot of really crappy ones. The crappy photographers made me feel good, but the good ones made me feel like a little kid in a candy shop. But that wasn’t the first time I felt intimidated, and if you look at the wedding photography industry, I’m one in a million. Look online and you’re bombarded with awesome photographers who are booked year-round…for the next 5 years. Professional or not, it’s not that hard to take a decent looking photo. Then there’s uncle Bob who takes more photos than he needs to, and probably has spent more money on his gear than on his kids. A hobby, an expensive hobby that everyone and anyone can pick up. Then you really start to think, wow, I really am one in a million. 

And that’s also how it was when I went swing dancing at the Chocolate Bar, and there were a lot of really good swing dancers there. Heck, I only took one semester of intermediate ballroom, what do I have to show? Look at all their cool moves! They’re so confident. This place feels weird, and it’s awkward here. That’s how I felt this past Thursday, and it was uncomfortable. The world is intimidating. 

So, I believe there are two ways to deal with intimidation. This is for me, but could be for you too. One reaction is to hole up and hide, then the other is to overcome it. If you spend as much time overcoming your intimidation than actually talking about how intimidated you are, then you’d realize that there was nothing to be intimidated about in the first place. Work on your craft. Get good at it. Face the world! The world is a dance floor, and if you don’t ever dance, you’ll never learn your moves. We’ve all got moves up our sleeves, you just got to let it out. It takes facing fears and taking risks, even if you’re not the best. And if the people around you can’t accept that, then they’re a bunch of losers to begin with. It’s not about being the best, and if that’s all it is to you, then you’ll never attain it. Take risks. Start a project that you’ve always wanted to do. Write a book. Make a movie. Make some clothes. Start cooking, and stop watching the cooking channel. Make a movie instead of just watching movies. “Find what you love to do, then do that thing.” 

This was posted 4 months ago. It has 13 notes.
  1. vanhuynh said: I’m learning the same things in life right now.
  2. alliyeh said: THIS IS A COOL POST.
  3. haikuo said: all i can think about is Julian describing this as “arts and crafts” lol
  4. roarrrdanisaur said: for the record, i think that you’re really, really good at photography - special, gifted, unique good. i think your shots say something that only you can say. you’re definitely not a dime a dozen, haha
  5. shsueh posted this