Phases of Photogaphy

<p>I see a lot of similar threads and arguments, and it looks as if one can lay down the approximate path of many photographers. Here are some of the phases that I have seen (and many I have experienced).</p>

<p>1) I just got into photography, now excuse me while I take thousands of photos of my pet!<br>

2) I am a genius, and all of my photos are amazing<br>

3) Gearhead phase- obsess about equipment<br>

4) Pixel peeper phase- similar to gearhead phase but obsessing about blowups of raw files<br>

5) I am a loser, all of my photos are terrible<br>

6) My brand is the best, all other people are fools for not using my brand<br>

7) After acquiring very good equipment, suddenly deciding that equipment is not so important after all (people who say this generally do not use kit lenses)</p>

<p>Have I missed any phases?</p>

<p>It's the 21st century, Stephen. You've missed out on:<br /><br />8) Please visit my blog, where I explain (1)-(7), and hope you'll click on my affiliate marketing ad links. Because it would be a shame to have gone through all of that and not find a way to pay for the next expensive lens I don't need, since equipment doesn't matter even though I know that it does because I'm a bokeh freak or wish to be able to see inside hummingbird nostrils.</p>

<p>

 

<p>Four of your phases are about equipment. I think that puts you in phase 3. Personally I'd prefer to never leave phase 2.</p>

 

</p>

<p>I am exiting 3 and remembering enough not to be a 7.</p>

<p>Is this similar to a 12 step program? Right now I think I am in denial. </p>

<p>I just shoot, remembering that I am better than when I started and still have a long way to go.</p>

<p>I think this may be a cyclical phenomenon. So, maybe after Matt's phase 8, we loop around to number one, but get stuck making pictures of something else. [i just got into gelling the flash. Please excuse me while I CTO and CTB everything.]</p>

<blockquote>

<p><em>Before you study Zen, mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers. While you are studying Zen, mountains are no longer mountains and rivers are no longer rivers, but once you have had enlightenment, mountains are once again mountains and rivers again rivers</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>If you substitute "lenses" and "pictures", it may apply here.</p>

<p>If it <em>is </em> a 12 step program, then I admit I have a problem.</p>

<p>It used to be, long ago, a sequence like this:</p>

<ol>

<li>I've just got an SLR! I shoot pictures all day.</li>

<li>I've just got a new filter - everything's got stars on</li>

<li>I've just got another new filter - there's five of everything this month</li>

<li>I've saved up for a wide angle lens - wow, every shot is wide now.</li>

<li>I've saved up for a telephoto lens - but I still mainly use the wide angle</li>

<li>[several years of zooms, macros, gear accumulation, flashguns, new bodies, etc]</li>

<li>[a few decades later]: I prefer my 50mm standard, I'm going back to step 1</li>

</ol>

<p>I'd say that you can merge #3 and #4 as they are essentially the same, move #6 up to the #3 slot, and change #7 to "settling on a small selection of equipment" rather than qualifying it with a subjective term like 'very good'. I would also consider including in step #2 something to the effect either "All of my work looks just like such and such photographer's work" or perhaps "All of my work is an attempt to emulate the currently popular technique/style/trend rather than expressing my own vision" you'd have it down pretty good.</p>

<p>I've seen the same thing many, many times, and of course been through at least parts of it myself (I never could afford the popular brands so I didn't do the 'my brand is bigger than your brand' thing). In the end I suspect, much as others have intimated here, that some people regress and move back down the line at times and certainly some never progress all the way to the end in the first place. Personally, I tend to, every couple of years, go back and forth on appreciating what I've done and feeling like I'm not getting what I want out of my mind and onto the paper.</p>

<p>- Randy</p>

<p>I'm at step 5....</p>

<p>Hmmm, perhaps it's more like: 1 - 5 - 2 - 5 - 3 - 5 - 4 - 5 (really sucks) - 6 - 7 - 1 (different camera or genre or technique or whatever) - 5 and so on.....<br>

What I'm suggesting (along with the other posters here of course) is that rather than a linear progression (1-8), the personal journey of photography involoves a series of learning curves, plateau's, doubt, back to a learning curve etc., because one never truly 'arrives'.....</p>

<p>by the way, in case it's not obvious, I'm at step 5! AAAARRGGG!</p>

<p>OK, maybe I'm the weird one...My step 1 was taking pictures of landscapes, even crappy ones! Ten years later, I became a dad, bought a DSLR, and now have THOUSANDS of pics of the kids...I guess my pets feel neglected, since I hardly ever shoot them.</p>

<p>What about the "Crap! I quit my real job, and now I gotta pay for all of my own taxes and health insurance!" phase?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Where does the "I'm done with shooting for other people and now shoot only for myself and not caring what anyone else thinks of what I shoot or what I shoot with." phase fall?</p>

<p>That is where many of us are, David. It is called unemployment. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.00, but you can call yourself an artist!</p>