Today, I’ll share with you the lessons I’ve learned in the past 3 years of photography.

None of it is formal. None technical.

It is simply a concise breakdown of the things I’ve learned from taking thousands and thousands of images from street to landscape, from traveling the world, from wedding to engagement, to my own photographic studies.

You’ll notice a great deal of these tips are not complex. Rather I’ve noticed it’s more important to focus on the simple basics and what we “should not do”, rather than all of these things we believe we “need to do”.

Don’t Label

Labeling is what I’d call a great limiter for photographers. Its often we get wrapped up in what “type” of photography we do that things become difficult. For example, calling ourselves “street photographers” or “landscape photographers”. We believe that by labeling our own photography it grants us some sort of access to a larger pool of knowledge and information. Which is often true to a degree, but it can ultimately end up confining us to a niched style.

Labels allows us to “identify” with a specific genre and feel like a part of something.

I’ve personally done away with labels. Over the years I’ve realized that labeling myself to a specific genre actually limits my creativity and the work I create. Instead of just taking good pictures, I go out to the field already with a specific image in mind. This is built up by different things such as things I’ve seen online, things I’ve heard or read about, and my own preconceived notions about what “street” or “landscape” photography should look like.

It has me going out and seeking these specific compositions instead of playing and working with what’s currently there: lighting of the day, time and place, and subjects in the image.

Instead of trying to make a good image from what exists, I’m trying to bend the world to what I think the image “should” look like, resulting in dissatisfaction, poor results, and inability to see things for what they are.

This is why I’ve done away with the labels. Instead, just going out simply with the idea of “creating good images”, I’ve been able to be much more successful and much more content with my work.

It’s Not That Serious

Another difficulty that impedes our progression in photography (at least my own personal work) is the idea of taking things too seriously. This is largely a personal problem I have with myself, since upon becoming invested or dedicated to something, I tend to become quite serious about it.

I care about the craft and want to improve such that I’ll devote large amounts of time and energy to it. This can be great in improving in the art, however can also be a limiter since at the end of the day, it’s just photography and it’s not that serious. Placing such an emphasis on something can result in stress and over importance. Yes you “should” do your best. But there’s no need to place a world of expectations onto your shoulders as if the balance of your life depends on it.

It’s not that serious.

Many Things Don’t Matter

Another thing that rings true in my head to this day is that may things don’t matter. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Often times photography beginners will be swept up and caught up in all of the technicalities of photography. They believe they need this lens or that lens, they think x, y, and z is important. There’s an information overload.

At the end of the day, many of these things don’t matter.

What matters is taking good photos. Period.

If you start to value and prioritize other things above simply taking a good photo, you begin to detract from why photography exists in the first place. And this may vary for all sort of people, but it’s just my personal belief.

You can take a good picture of almost anything, and you can take a good picture with almost anything.