How would you photograph if you’ve never seen another photo? How would you photograph if you’ve never been bombarded with images of what “good photography” is? No magazine aisles. No celebrities. How would you photograph if platforms like instagram didn’t exist? Should we really determine our artistic vision based on how things are commonly displayed? Is it helpful? Is it necessary? Or is it just getting in the way?
by Jason Lam
Well, first you gotta experiment. And not only do you have to experiment. You have to allow yourself to do, see, and experience things that are totally outside your comfort zone. Totally outside your usual realm of existence. So yes, that means go volunteer on a cow farm in Iceland for a month. Yes. That means go backpacking in that random foreign country that your friend invited you to. Wander off into the metaphysics section of the bookstore. Go try that new restaurant. Go take that acroyoga class. Go ask that girl out on a date. Do it. And by doing so, you stretch yourself. And by stretching yourself you widen your spectrum… or palate, if you will, so you have more tools at your disposal.
Much as I would like style to just magically appear one day, it won’t. It’s something you work towards every day. Not just in the studio, but by living. Style must be carved out of you through blood, sweat, and years.
And then one day, you will find that hey, you actually have come up with a style that is pretty unique to who you are. Notice I said who you are. Not who you are as an artist. I mean who you are as a person. Because as you are, so is your art.
So I guess what I’m saying is, to find your style you must find your life. To carve it out. To seek out the unknown. To embrace the darkness with the light. To fall into disaster and to claw yourself back out. And one day, sure, it might seem like magic, but you will find yourself. And thus, your style.
by Jason Lam
I quit social media about a month ago. It wasn’t easy, and sometimes, I do get bored, but I’m already noticing some of the benefits. The main one? I feel less anxiety because I’m no longer comparing myself to other people 24/7. I can’t! In fact, the other day I relapsed. I signed on for business purposes and then found myself reacting quite negatively as I scrolled through my friends feeds, seeing how some of them have 10k+ followers and how I only have 600. I’d like to say this stuff doesn’t affect me. But it does. Higher number, higher status. Lower number. Lower status. And who likes to have lower status? Not me...
But quitting social media can help. I know because I’m experiencing it first hand. I feel more free to be myself. I no longer have the whole world (the internet) watching. I don’t have to be as careful. I can like what I like, do what I do, and live the life that I want and that’s about it. Who cares about likes and followers? Better yet. Who cares about the numbers? Because if we do, well, then we’re just creating art for other people. And while there’s nothing wrong with that. I just feel like sometimes we forget to feed ourselves.
I used to do that.
So much to the point where I lost all joy in creating art. I also lost all sense of purpose. I couldn’t find answers to so many questions that started popping up. Why am I creating art? Why does it even matter? And why should I continue anyways? Because I’m just not having fun anymore.
It’s like, post more selfies! Because people will engage with you more. People want to know what you’re up to! Show us what’s happening behind the scenes! More! More! More! But what about me? Is it all just for the numbers?
I used to have the dream to be able to get paid for a large social media following.
But not anymore.
Not if it means having to be someone I am not and to create art that doesn’t resonate from the depths of my soul.
So… quitting social media. Should you do it? I think you should at least try. See what it does for you. No, the world won’t stop turning. You won’t lose your job. If anything, you’ll gain your sanity back like I did. And perhaps, by doing so, you’ll be able to come back to terms with your art in ways that you couldn’t when the whole world was watching.
by Jason Lam
Every time I’m about to get out there and take some photos or make a video, there’s always this hesitation. a routine hiccup I always have to go through before I even head out the door. It’s equal parts self-conscious, you suck, and omg what am I doing with my life. Thing is, I’ve experienced it enough times to know that it’s just that. A hiccup. A speed bump that slows me down, but that’s it. I try not to dwell on it too much. Because if I do, it can then take a hold of me and I really won’t do anything for the day.
What I’ve been doing is just taking it in stride and never stop moving. That means continue putting my shoes on, grabbing my keys and heading out the door before hesitation can suck me back into procrastination mode. It’s been working most of the time.
I think hesitation has a fear of action, like how vampires are afraid of the light.
Aka
Find the weakness to your weakness, and you will be strong.
by Jason Lam
I disagree. I don’t think a beautiful picture of a woman needs to be of a girl smiling. Nor does she have to be young. With absolutely flawless skin. Nor does she need to be wearing fancy clothes, or a bikini. Beauty can’t be quantified by physical qualities. It’s a feeling. A least, that’s what I try to capture in my photos.
by Jason Lam
Your value as a photographer is not dependent on your ability to set up a light stand, nor is it your ability to know the difference between a mafer and a super clamp (there is no difference), nor is it how fast you’re able to run and grab an apple box. It also isn’t how much people are willing to pay you for your work. It’s.. as cheesy as it sounds, self-defined. The reason I say that is because I know so many talented photographers who don’t get paid, who still work multiple jobs to stay afloat, and wouldn’t know a thing about lighting equipment if you asked them. You wouldn’t look down on them as an artists though. These people are damn talented.
If you think about the greats like Mary Ellen Mark, Irving Penn, and Peter Lindbergh. Would you question their novelty? No. But can you really imagine them adjusting the sliders in Capture One? Setting up a 12x12 silk? Or struggling to move around those awkward V-flats? Ok, maybe you can, but even if they couldn’t, I doubt you’d question their abilities as a photographer.
So the question becomes, well, now what? Or better yet, how in the world do you even get to their level? I think it starts by stating yourself as who you are. You are an artist. First and foremost. A confident artist at that. And if you need to be an assistant to learn the ropes, so be it, but go into it knowing why you are there and what you stand for. Whatever happens, don’t let people push you around, because, well, that’s basically the nature of it all anyway. Don’t undersell yourself. Because if you do, people will walk all over you. You know your worth, and if you don’t, find it for yourself. The people on “the top” aren’t the most talented ones. They’re the most confident ones. And if you aren’t confident you’ll end up working for someone who is, and that’s that.
by Jason Lam
Often your best idea isn’t your best idea. It is just an idea that will eventually lead you to the best idea. So get it all out. That way you can cross them all off and allow your best idea to present itself to you.
by Jason Lam
I know this sounds weird but it’s something I noticed has helped me come to better terms with myself. I quit photography recently. And this wasn’t the first time. I’ve given up on it 3 times by now in pursuit of other things. A normal job. Just because I was damn tired and disenchanted by it all. And then to pursue YouTube by creating Barely Evolved Apes. Whatever the reason, I was done, I saw no future in it, and I figured it was best just to give up.
In other words, I was running away from it all.
But oddly enough, the further I ran away from myself, and the more YouTube videos I made, the more I realized how my complete left field turn was informing the art that I abandoned. Those of you who know me know that I’ve never been very confident in my art. I never felt good enough. I didn't really start to like my stuff until about last year, and I’ve been taking pictures for 10 years. Couple that with an inability to find stable work as a photographer and you’ve got a recipe for quitting and doing something else.
I mean, everybody loves video now. So pursuing YouTube was a well thought out decision. Plus, I wanted to challenge myself, and I did.
The more I made videos though, the more I missed my “serious” work. The work that cannot be summed up with cool music or video cuts or movement at all. I missed the silent and more focused type of work that I spent most of my life pursuing. That “emo stuff” I guess some would call it. And so the more I missed it, the more I started dabbling again. But I noticed something changed. Since I pretty much gave it all up, when I dabble, I’m only doing what I know I will like. I’m not wasting time creating things because I think others would like it better. And so naturally, it came down to just a few types of photos:
Pictures of people.
Imperfection.
And a whole lot of 35mm film.
(Oh, and I also really like drawing.)
And that’s it. It’s quite simple. I don’t have elaborate setups. I don’t have fun colorful backgrounds. I also don’t have perfect composition. Nor do I care for it. And I gotta say. I quite like this version of me and this version of my art. Oddly enough, I don’t think I would’ve gotten here had I never allowed myself to quit and pursue other things.
I guess it’s true. If you love something enough you’ll always find a way back to it. So I guess I’m back. For now.
by Jason Lam
I remember one day I was packing my bags to go when the photographer I worked for at the time went on a little rant about how so many people take shortcuts and never truly learn the craft. In fact, they take so many shortcuts and mess so many things up throughout the process that they end up making things harder on themselves down the line.
He said the best way to do something fast is to dedicate the time and energy to learn something and to learn it well. And what’s the secret to that? Slowing down and taking your damn time.
Slow isn’t sexy. Slow isn’t cool. But slow is sustainable and it will get you where you want to go. Take the long way. There are no shortcuts.
by Jason Lam
Something I’ve been noticing and allowing myself to accept.
Often times, I will work on my art and come upon something that I find rather appealing. But it doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t follow any of the rules. In fact, it breaks all of them. But somehow… it still works. I just don’t know how or why.
In my earlier years, if I didn't know why I liked a piece, I would ruin it in my attempts to make it “right”. I would keep changing things until my work aligned with the “rules of photography”. It was a very cerebral way of creating and I usually ended up with mediocre work.
It also wasn’t fun anymore.
So lately, I've been allowing myself the freedom to do what I want. And freedom to like what I make even though it doesn’t make sense.
I've found much more joy in the creative process this way, and I've also come to like my work a lot more as well.
by Jason Lam
When you’re giving direction to your models, what you want to do is think “broad strokes.” Meaning, don’t fuss over the little details about where to put their hand or which way to turn their head. Instead. Tell them to sit down. Stand up. Turn to the right. Turn to the left. Give broad strokes. Most times, this is more than enough to get your model to the position you want versus trying to micromanage your way there. Often times, you’ll just end up with a very bad version of them trying to do the robot. Lol.
by Jason Lam
This is still a hard lesson for me to learn. Don’t be too precious with your work. Regardless of how big or small it is. A mini personal photo project. Or something as huge as a fully fledged business. The most important thing I've learned as an artist is to accept the difference between what you want something to be, and what it actually is. It’s this discrepancy and the unwillingness to accept something for what it is that causes all the unnecessary friction. I can point to many photo projects of mine that struggled with this. Inside the Lion, Street Dance Project, LINES Ballet Training Program. And most recently, my YouTube channel - Barely Evolved Apes - I’m not even sure what it’s for anymore. To help people? Sure. But then I started making random cooking and travel videos. I’m not even sure anymore. But maybe I just need to keep going, embrace it for what it is and see what happens.
by Jason Lam
I think there’s a misconception that artists, photographers especially, live this glamorous life. I was surely mistaken when I first pursued photography. I thought it was going to be all lights, camera, action! And when I found out otherwise I became mildly depressed. Quit photography for a while and didn’t really know what to do with myself for quite some time. Until I realized that this is normal. This is the real thing. It’s not like what you see in the magazines. The hustle is not glamorous. And when I came to accept the messiness of it all, I came to accept myself. I was turned off when I felt I had to keep this facade of having it all together when I first started off. I don’t really care anymore. I allow myself to be the broken, confused, messy artist that I am. In fact, I like my photos a little messy and imperfect. It’s more of who I am. And I like being me.
by Jason Lam
I’ve tried to come up with a distinct photography style for a long time.
I’m 10 years deep now and I’m pretty much giving up on that endeavor.
Why?
Because it’s one of the most crippling things you can do to your creative growth.
Trying to define your “style” is like saying to yourself, "From now on, I will only eat oatmeal for breakfast!" Or, "I will only wear blue jeans for the rest of eternity!"
Really?
What benefit does this have for you?
And I was actually really good at answering this question:
So people know what I stand for!
So people aren’t confused when they look at my website!
So it will be easier for potential clients to know exactly what I do!
And that’s great. Especially if you make a hit, like Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 smash hit, "Dreams". Then, by all means, keep playing that song for the rest of your life. After all, it will help keep the lights on at the studio.
But there’s a difference between marketing yourself as one thing and cornering yourself into just one style for the rest of eternity.
I’m talking about the latter.
I actually think it’s a great idea to market yourself as one thing. After all, in a world that is getting busier and faster and with people’s attention spans being less than that of a goldfish, you better have your hook strong and easy to see otherwise you will be skipped over for someone who does have an easily identifiable style
Some of my favorite artists who have a unique style:
Do these people not do other styles? I doubt it. They probably just don’t show it. After all, you don’t want to confuse your potential clients, right?
I think style eventually presents itself to you. It’s not something you need to force yourself into. It will come. A bit like walking in the sand. You might feel like you’re just walking aimlessly in a vast desert, but if you look back you’ll see that there is, in fact, a path that you’ve created that is unique to you and only you.
Trying to define your style prematurely leads to artistic death. It’s deciding you will only crawl, when you can walk, deciding you will only walk when you can run, deciding you will only run, when you can fly.
I’ve made this mistake more times than I’d like. It’s limiting. It’s also very boring. Can you imagine doing the same thing forever and ever? If you take a look at Picasso’s work, you can see that he changed so much.
But anyways, let’s talk about why we really care about finding a “style.”
Money.
Ohhhh money. Well, also, branding. Clear branding, which will lead to clients understanding what you do which will lead to money.
Not knocking it. But I think it’s important to consider the tradeoffs. Because that’s what it is, you're selling a specific style in an exchange for money. Is it worth your creative death for money? Maybe sometimes. But for all of eternity? No. Don’t do it.
What to do?
Meet halfway.
If you hit a style you like, a hit song if you will. Keep it. Sell it. Keep the lights on. Keep the food on the table. Make sure you can shower every night. But secretly on your own time, keep on trucking. Keep growing. Keep exploring. There's a term in finance called diversifying your assets. I guess creatively speaking. We can call this diversifying your creativity.
That’s what I’m doing nowadays. I hope it works for you too.
by Jason Lam
This is it.
It was Chinese New Year in New York City. 2014. I was a student at the International Center of Photography at the time and my final project was to document first-generation Chinese-Americans practicing the ancient art of lion dancing here in America.
The group I followed was Wan Chi Ming.
This was during the Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown, Manhattan. It was ice cold, and I had already spent the past 4 months following them every day. This was a project I’ve always wanted to do since graduating from college, and I decided it was now or never. I’d probably regret it if I never allowed myself to pursue this.
Anyways, Wan Chi Ming is always the finale of the parade. And it’s sort of crazy because they actually do two parades at the same time on the same day. One in Manhattan. The other in Brooklyn. Yes, I did wish there was two of me that day so I could’ve documented both events, but alas, I decided to stay in Manhattan.
The finale is the highly anticipated double dragon. That’s right. Not one, but two dragons! They come flying past East Broadway and the people love it. The parade started towards Mott and Canal Street. I was capturing the event from the ground and planned to run up to the roof of their studio when they started to get close to the end. This was my highly anticipated final project of several years after all. I was determined to do the best I can. Plus, just the night before they hung this really beautiful flag outside their building that was now swaying in the wind. I knew it was going to be a great shot.
So everything goes well. I’m zigging and zagging between all the dragons and lions to capture as many different angles as possible. And as they came to about one block of the studio I sprint as fast as I could up to the roof. Their elevator was broken at the time, so naturally, I was huffing and puffing by the time I got up there.
The thing is, like most New York roofs, there is a big ledge that sort of blocks your view, so I had to climb on top of that in order to get a clear overhead shot. Once on top, I had about a 4-foot ledge I could stand on to try and get THE SHOT.
But as I’m sure most of you must know, you must lean pretty far forward in order to make sure you don’t get your feet in the photo.
Mind you. I’m already standing who knows how many feet above East Broadway and now I’m leaning over with nothing to protect me from a deadly fall. No, there was no guard rail. I’m lucky it didn’t snow that day. I guess my shoes were grippy enough, otherwise, I don’t know what could’ve happened.
Anyways, the double dragons come soaring past East Broadway and the crowd goes wild. The flag isn’t quite flowing the way I want it to though, so I keep leaning and tippy-toeing in order to get the shot I want. I really only had a couple seconds to do this because the dragons weren’t going to be stopping just for me. Nor did they know I had sprinted up to the roof of their studio to do just that.
Eventually, the wind picked up, laid the flag perfectly parallel to the double dragons and I take as many shots as possible, I get off the ledge as soon as I could and take the biggest sigh of relief. As I run back down the stairs to catch up with the crew I promised myself never to risk my life for a shot like that ever again. When I think back to it, I still get vertigo. It’s a very weird feeling. But it is very scary indeed. Most people say that is one of their favorite shots, and I’m flattered, but in my head, I’m often thinking to myself, “That was kinda stupid”.
I was in my early 20s at the time and sort of young and reckless but nowadays I don’t think it’s worth it at all to risk my life for a shot. Never again. But hey, that’s the story of the most dangerous photo I ever took.
by Jason Lam
Have you ever set a goal and failed to achieve it? I have. More times than I’d like to admit. Here’s a little tip that’s been working for me. Set smaller goals and work on perfecting the little things. It doesn’t sound as impressive and it won’t win you any cool points, but it will get you where you want to go.
by Jason Lam
“First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won't. Habit is persistence in practice.”
—Octavia E. Butler
I spent the better part of the weekend looking over my daily schedule and reviewing my progress throughout the year. (2017 is almost coming to an end! Yikes!) Much of it involved building good habits and ditching the ones that don’t serve me. Suffice to say, nowhere in my schedule says, “Do (activity) only when inspired.”
I like inspiration, but I don’t depend on it anymore. Now I see it more like a lucky star I just happen to find (like in Mario Kart ). I’ll use it for as long as it stays with me, but I won’t stop working just because it’s gone.
The thing about building good habits is it can also become a bit robotic. So to counterbalance my obsession with productivity, I’ve also built a habit of not letting myself work on Sundays, aka “cheat days” for literally everything. I get to sleep in, eat a ton of waffles with extra maple syrup, and watch Netflix all day. Can not working be considered a productivity habit? Not sure, but hey, it works for me.
by Jason Lam
We all have them. When I have an off day I always try to pinpoint why. Is it because I slept too late? Did I not eat a proper breakfast? Did I forget to do my morning routine?
One thing I don’t do, or at least, try not to do is to be too hard on myself. Instead, I identify it for what it is, an off DAY. And to remember that despite it all, I still showed up. It works (most of the time).
What do you do when you have an off day?
by Jason Lam
Especially when things get tough and thoughts about quitting start creeping into your head. This was a hard lesson I had to learn from having lost motivation doing many things I thought I was “committed” to. Like my definition for love, the meaning of commitment has evolved a lot throughout the years.
One thing I’ve learned is you must have a strong reason as to WHY you are doing something. Because if your WHY is flimsy, you’ll give up soon as things get difficult. So you need a damn good reason WHY, and when you feel like giving up, you need to remind yourself of that WHY.
Your WHY is the backbone of your journey. Your WHY will also evolve as you continue to grow. Quitting in the early stages and finding out something wasn’t meant for you, is in fact, part of the process of refining your WHY. So, find your WHY, strengthen your WHY, and then use your WHY to your advantage when times get tough. (I just used the word “why” way too many times).
by Jason Lam
I once wrote a piece titled "50 Important Things You Need To Know As An Aspiring Photographer". It's been a while, but here are 50 more tips to help you along you photographic journey.
It's better to have a deep understanding of how lighting works than to know about the latest lighting gadgets
Lighting is very simple, it usually comes down to these five aspects: Intensity, Size, Direction, Quality, and Color.
Put your work where the eyes go. Nowadays, that means you should probably be putting your work on Instagram. The printed portfolio is being phased out, and in a way, even the good old website portfolio is turning into just a "nice to have."
That said, not putting your work where the eyes go is like putting out a fancy billboard in the middle of nowhere.
If you want your main source of income to be from taking photos, you should probably know a thing or two about marketing. It's much simpler than you think. See: Stock and flow
If you're discouraged about being a photographer because you're not getting as many likes, comments, and followers as you'd like. You probably shouldn't be a photographer.
It's beneficial to know a thing or two about casting.
And make up, wardrobe, hair, and set design.
That said, photography is more about the art of setting up and preparing for the shot. Taking the picture is the easy part. It's everything else that comes beforehand that's hard. (pre-production - training yourself, your eye)
Great photographers are also great at seeing. In fact, seeing is way more important as it is the core of where photography comes from. The camera is merely a tool to capture what we already see.
When you don't have a camera, don't fret, just enjoy seeing.
Great photographs have something to say.
Everybody should have a personal project. This is what defines who you are after all. That said, personal projects usually aren't the most popular, but if done right, it will be popular among the right people. Not to mention, it will keep you grounded in your values and what truly matters to you. It will also keep you sane.
If you want to "make it" in this industry, you need to be much more than just a photographer. You need to be a marketer, a leader, and a fun person to be around! Whatever you do, just try not to be a snob. People tend to do that a lot in this industry... unfortunately.
It helps to know a thing or two about post-processing. Photography is like harvesting crops from the field. Post-processing is putting it all together and cooking up a delicious meal. If you don't know how to post-process, you'll just be left with a bunch of raw ingredients without your personal spin on it.
You can't manage what you don't understand. Being a photographer often means working with many different people from all different stages of photography. It helps to know a thing or two about the daily obstacles your team has to face. Know what it’s like to produce, to assist, to style, even to run and grab coffee - it will keep you humble.
There's a difference between photo-editing and photo-retouching. Most people say photo-editing when they really mean photo-retouching.
Photo-retouching is a fine art. Don't knock it. Some of the greatest photographers in history don't even know how to print their own photographs.
There's nothing wrong with using on-camera flash. Somehow, I feel like this whole notion about on-camera flash being bad is a gimmick lighting companies popularized to get you to buy their lights instead.
Admit that being a photographer means having to step pass boundaries and be a little annoying at times. I find it is best to avoid any troubles by plainly acknowledging this fact, explaining your intentions, telling people why you do what you do, and what the photos will ultimately be used for.
If you're scared, you should probably take the photo. It will probably be the best photo you'll take.
Most people love being photographed. Then again, most people are not used to receiving so much attention. It helps to take the time and make sure your subjects feel comfortable around you.
Much of the photographs we take are taken before we even pick up our cameras.
There is usually only one way to take a photo that is true to who you are.
You should probably triple back up your hard drives. Two copies in-studio in case something fails and you need it immediately. One copy off-site.
If you're ever stuck, ask yourself, "What would ______ do?" Insert name of favorite photographer there.
Gear is great and you should get the best gear that you can, but once that is set, you really should set your eyes back on photography. Remember, some of the greatest photographers used cameras much less advanced than yours.
There are so many photographers nowadays. It can be a bit discouraging in terms of "making it" but consider it a blessing in disguise as it forces you to be your true self. Any other option is useless.
Nobody wants to hear your excuses. If you took a bad shot, then you took a bad shot. Yeah, it sucks, but that's just how it goes. Deal with it and move on.
Just because you worked really hard on a photo doesn't mean it's good.
Get a second pair of eyes. We're terrible judges of our own work. It's very useful to have someone you trust help you identify your masterpieces and utter failures.
I've noticed there has been a trend towards bright and colorful images. It's almost as if there's something wrong with darker images. I don't think there is. They can be quite beautiful, actually.
Disposable cameras are fun. You should always keep one around you somewhere.
Your portfolio should be like a menu that showcases the different recipes you're capable of putting together.
Proudly exclude people from your work. You are defined as a photographer not just by who you let into your frame, but also by who you choose to leave out.
Photography is great but more and more I realize that what I cherish the most is not the photographs I've taken but the relationships and the memories I've created because of photography. Something to think about as we continue our work.
Keep a reference file. This is a folder of images you've taken that could work as jump-off points or inspiration for future projects. Most importantly, these reference files are pictures that you created yourself so they are uniquely yours, versus just a knock-off of somebody else's idea.
Build strong relationships. Photography is a bit of a lonely endeavor. Make sure you prioritize your time with friends and family.
Be incredibly clear about being compensated for your work. Because there are so many photographers and people with photographer friends who are willing to do things free of charge, there is a culture of people asking for photos without pay. Nothing wrong with that. But never sell yourself short. Because when you do, we all suffer.
Every once in a while, go to the rental shop and spend a few days shooting with a camera you normally wouldn't shoot with. I love doing this, that was how I discovered the Contax 645. Such a great camera!
Instagram is a great place to showcase your work, but Instagram isn't a really good place for inspiration. Most popular accounts are skewed towards photos that have perfectly centered compositions. Often of food or landscapes. Photography is much more than that.
Having said that, your phone is a great tool for photography. Lately, I've been obsessed with these add-on lenses for the iPhone made my Moment. This sounds like an ad, but it's not. I just really love these lenses, it literally turns my phone into a dSLR.
Never equate the quality of your work with the dollar amount people are willing to pay for it. The market is saturated, so more likely than not, your work won't be worth much (unless you shoot weddings, headshots, corporate gigs, or on the rare occassion, land a huge commercial project). Thinking yourself as less of a photographer due to a lack of high paying gigs is a terrible standard to measure your art by. Basic supply and demand simply drives the price of photography services down. It's been doing so for years, and it will keep doing so.
Find your muses and take as many photos of them as you can. Muses don't come often, but when they do, I try my best to develop a relationship with them. I love photographing these people. And I'll continue photographing them for the rest of my life.
The most common question you will be faced with when photographing in the public is, "What are you doing?". Whenever you're given the chance, answer this question as soon as possible, in fact, answer it before they even ask, this is beneficial for alleviating any unnecessary tension.
Make people look good. I know this might be stating the obvious but nobody likes to look bad. I know the more "artsy" photographers might not necessarily care for this, and you don't have to, really, but it goes a long way.
Learning how to curate your own work is probably one of the greatest skills you can learn. It's incredibly difficult. I just figured it out this past year.
Take selfies. No, not the kind where you use your front facing camera. Take it a little more seriously. I don't say this to be narcissistic, but I do find it a little sad that so many incredible photographers have so little photographs of themselves. In fact, I think one of the best ways of learning how to photograph people is to be photographed.
Make prints. I spent A LOT of time making physical prints of my work during my early years. It's funny because I feel most people don't even notice the subtleties and maybe I'm just wasting my time, but I like knowing I have that ability, and I think all photographers will benefit from making and analyzing physical prints of their photographs rather than staring at digital screens all the time.
Don't take it too seriously. I mean, take it seriously so you can create great work, but I notice when I take photography way too seriously, it's not fun anymore, and I like to have fun =)
by Jason Lam
