I was trying to think how I was going to start off this
blog. I wanted to write something that
would let you know how much I believe improving your family, friends, vacation,
etc. photos can help you have so much more fun--to be so much more excited
about getting those photos. How was I
going to tell you that it's not necessary to want to become a pro? I wrote a lot of things but deleted every one
of them. They weren't saying what I
wanted to say. Today I found it. It wasn't anything like I had been trying to
write. In fact, it's totally different
but it summed up my feelings, it was the essence of how I hope you will feel as
we take this journey together. Here's
what happened:
I was reading a fascinating book by a world-renowned
marketing expert and I came across the following quote. It's about writing good sales copy but I've
substituted "photography" or a similar word or phrase and it makes
just as much sense. The words I've
substituted are in italics so you will know for sure which ones they are and
I've referenced the book at the end of the quote. I've also included it in my reference books
section, not because it has anything to do with photography but because you may
not always be looking for books to improve how you take photos. Every one of us has other interests, probably
other jobs, and other skills we want to improve. So, here's the adjusted quote:
"Remember, the more photos
you take, the easier it will get. Just about everything you do easily now was once difficult to do. From fear to confidence; from difficult to
easy; from incompetent to competent--that's a movement we repeat over and over
again throughout our lives. It's the
process that gives life meaning, that prevents boredom, burnout, and
depression. It's good for you! It builds healthy self-esteem, which prevents
unhealthy addictions and destructive behavior. Gaining new competence in any skill, such as taking photos, automatically enhances your confidence in all other
areas! In short, you're going to find
the ability to take more interesting
photographs to be a major asset personally and for your family [he said "company" and
that may well apply to you as well]."
This is from The
Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan S. Kennedy. You can purchase it by looking at my "Other Interesting Books"
list and you can learn more about Dan's style of making a business work by
visiting www.dankennedy.com.
As I was reading this paragraph I realized just how true it
had been for me as I improved my skills, as I went from taking vacation
snapshots to becoming a professional photographer. My self-esteem improved with every positive
critique by my mentors. My confidence
grew as more and more people started looking at my work and telling me how
valuable it was (both as art and as a commercial product).
I wouldn't be starting a business sharing my insights, my
experiences, my love of photography with you if I hadn't gone through that
process.
Of course I'm not suggesting you become a professional
photographer! No! On the contrary, I wanted to create a place
for someone with no desire to get good enough to enter competitions but who
simply wanted to take more interesting photographs of family, friends, vacation
spots--real life stuff. This is for
people who want their kid's birthday party photos to be more than a table full
of relatives and a little kid with frosting smear all over. Those are fun photos but there are others
that can be achieved with just a little information, a little more education,
just a little more desire to make them better.
I look forward to having you join me in this fun trip
through learning how to make some of those tiny changes to create personal
photos that will give you and those who see them just a little more pleasure
than the ones you've been taking up until now. Most of my posts will be a lot shorter than this one and I may even
write another "Welcome" post that is a little more descriptive about
what it is I want to share with you but for now, welcome to the world of
photography and how to make it just a little more interesting and compelling
than what you've been doing up until now.
Comments are always welcome and you please feel free to email me by clicking on the link at the left side of this page.
