What are your key skills as a photographer?

SealBeard

SealBeard

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Just for the sole purpose of discussion, I'd be very interest to know what you think are the 'key skills' of a photographer? :)
 
An eye for composition, the ability to stay calm when all hell is breaking loose, commitment and depending on what you do: courage (photojournalists in war zones or areas of civil unrest).
 
Luck, who won't admit that some of their best shots haven't been happy accidents, or am I alone?
 
Cheers for your contributions guys,

Coldeh said:
An eye for composition, the ability to stay calm when all hell is breaking loose, commitment and depending on what you do: courage (photojournalists in war zones or areas of civil unrest).
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I would have to agree with you on all those, I feel personally the ability to stay calm under pressure is a very good trait to have.

Sonyguy said:
Luck, who won't admit that some of their best shots haven't been happy accidents, or am I alone?
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I'm not sure I would say luck is a skill, but the ability to get yourself in the right place at the right time is a very desirable skill.
 
Sonyguy said:
Luck, who won't admit that some of their best shots haven't been happy accidents, or am I alone?
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strange, the harder I work, the luckier I get...

reliability.
creativity.
love the adrenaline, thrive from deadlines and the rush.
people skills, both for subjects, customers and just in life.
being good at blagging.
business, marketing, sales.
crazy ideas and being just mad enough to actually do them.
practicing and shooting to the stage where the camera is an extension of your body. this is a surprisingly big one. Once you don't have to think - whatsoever - about what dial does what, you can concentrate on everything else.
Lighting. Photography is all about the light, natural or artificial. Natural is usually better to work from as a basis.
Not blaming gear, lack of gear, problems with gear, you not having some magical accessory or gizmo.

Immersing yourself in photography. Spend SO long consuming photos or moving images every day, in one form or another. Critique ads in your head, jot down ideas, get inspired and creative - no-one's gonna hire you on the grounds of infinite-th ever photo taken of a robin on a branch, however well exposed, sharp and flawless it is, it's still... a robin. Get out there, shoot something strange. Force yourself out of your comfort zone, talk to people, shoot what you really, really, honestly enjoy, and it'll be great.
 
well I was gonna say taking pictures, talking to people, and knowing the plan

but well I think I skimmed :p
 
For some, being a successful photographer is all about marketing too :)
 
The ability to predict what's happening in a given situation - we actually call it 'Situational Awareness'.
Having that gives you a head-start in getting yourself into the right position get the shot.
 
Arkady said:
The ability to predict what's happening in a given situation - we actually call it 'Situational Awareness'.
Having that gives you a head-start in getting yourself into the right position get the shot.
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I'll add spatial awareness to that one Rob... The ability to know exactly where you are in relation to everything that's going on around you too! Very handy during a wedding or when you're stood on a beach with the tide coming in around you! :)

Luck does play a part in photography too... The skill comes in being able to recognise 'luck' when it happens and build on it.

Si
 
I don't think you can begin to realise even the most basic creative ideas unless you have some understanding of how the camera works, the basics of exposure, shutter speeds and depth of field, lenses, focal length and perspective and perhaps most important of all, how light works.

If you haven't grasped that, you will always be at the mercy of the camera and events as they unfold before you, and have little creative input. A bit like most press photographers ;)
 
HoppyUK said:
If you haven't grasped that, you will always be at the mercy of the camera and events as they unfold before you, and have little creative input. A bit like most press photographers ;)
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And thus, ladies and gents, we have a whole new flamewar ;)
 
Rob_Ashton said:
Just for the sole purpose of discussion, I'd be very interest to know what you think are the 'key skills' of a photographer? :)
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It depends on what standard of photograhy you are talking about. A hobby /quick snap holiday family type of thing, or a keen amature trying always to improve or an out and out professional photographer who earns his living that way.

Some might say holding the camera the right way around is a key skill, I think you know the famous photo of the lady trying to take a photo looking through the lens, or the photographer carrying so many cameras you can hardly see him, that could be a key skill for him. On the other extreme a key skill could involve planetary photos through a telescope allowing for atmospheric conditions and the like.

Key skills covers such a range is is impossible to define every one.

Realspeed
 
confidence..
 
Spiritflier said:
I'll add spatial awareness to that one Rob... The ability to know exactly where you are in relation to everything that's going on around you too! Very handy during a wedding or when you're stood on a beach with the tide coming in around you! :)

Luck does play a part in photography too... The skill comes in being able to recognise 'luck' when it happens and build on it.

Si
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I'm with yous two.

Observation is everything, seeing the light but thinking settings, anticipating the next juxtaposition whilst looking for compositions.

In a word, thinking photographically big time...Like you say: The more I can get my head into it the more luck I seemed to have..
 
Arkady said:
In the inimitable words of Bender from Futurama: "Kiss my Shiny Metal Ass..."

:lol:
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Haha! Smudgers unite! :lol:

Turning that around a bit, one of the greatest skills for any photographer, press or otherwise, is being in the right place at the right time. Great photographers have an uncanny knack of doing that again and again.

Or rather knowing where the right place is going to be, to catch the action or the light, getting yourself there and being ready to capture that decisive moment.

Kind of obvious really, but none of that has got anything to do with photography, and sometimes the easiest part of the lot is just pressing the button.
 
The thing that interests me is how many hobby photographers I know that are far better than most professionals I've encountered.
 
Discovering which way around to hold the camera, unless doing self portraits that is......
 
Myky D said:
The thing that interests me is how many hobby photographers I know that are far better than most professionals I've encountered.
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How nice for them...maybe you should try and meet more of us...
 
Myky D said:
The thing that interests me is how many hobby photographers I know that are far better than most professionals I've encountered.
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That is a bit of a sweeping statement! :thumbsdown:

Perhaps that perception is formed from enthusiasts being able to shoot what they want how they want it with no time constraints and Pro's shooting for a client who is not a photographer but thinks they know what they want?

I know a few ex colleagues who have "turned Pro" in their eyes due to the credit crunch and some of their work in attrocious.

Horses for courses...
 
JohnD76 said:
That is a bit of a sweeping statement! :thumbsdown:

Perhaps that perception is formed from enthusiasts being able to shoot what they want how they want it with no time constraints and Pro's shooting for a client who is not a photographer but thinks they know what they want?

I know a few ex colleagues who have "turned Pro" in their eyes due to the credit crunch and some of their work in attrocious.

Horses for courses...
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Not at all. Maybe I've just encountered a lot of terrible professionals, or know a lot of excellent hobbyists.

Either way it's good - it completely removes any perceived "authority" in opinions.

I completely agree regarding clients - my girlfriend is a freelance designer, and I've done a couple of paid photography jobs, and I understand that the first rule of freelancing is that the client is an idiot, but since they pay the bills, what they say goes.
 
Why? you said it!

Do your clients know you think they are idiots?

I really don't think the rest of what you said changes the fact that you think clients are idiots just that you tolerate the fact that you think they are idiots in return for payment.

Great customer relations.
 
AliB said:
Why? you said it!

Do your clients know you think they are idiots?

I really don't think the rest of what you said changes the fact that you think clients are idiots just that you tolerate the fact that you think they are idiots in return for payment.

Great customer relations.
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Of course they don't know I think they're idiots! Dear gods if people were honest with each other the world would fall apart.

"Why do you want this job?" should never be replied to with the true answer of "I have bills to pay."

Everyone is a prostitute, everyone will jump for a price, and the client is just an organism that can provide revenue for the employee to do what they really want to do, be it photography, travel or hedonism.

Of course, part of the package that one buys as a client is how such is disguised to one - how much kow-tow one can expect.
 
Myky D said:
Of course they don't know I think they're idiots! Dear gods if people were honest with each other the world would fall apart.

"Why do you want this job?" should never be replied to with the true answer of "I have bills to pay."

Everyone is a prostitute, everyone will jump for a price, and the client is just an organism that can provide revenue for the employee to do what they really want to do, be it photography, travel or hedonism.

Of course, part of the package that one buys as a client is how such is disguised to one - how much kow-tow one can expect.
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I'm not sure of you belive that, or realise quite how rude you're being, but suffice to say I very glad I don't live in your world
 
boyfalldown said:
I'm not sure of you belive that, or realise quite how rude you're being, but suffice to say I very glad I don't live in your world
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Rude? Simply honest? Or unbelievable?

This perfectly illustrates my point about how everyone should avoid telling the truth.
 
Myky D said:
Rude? Simply honest? Or unbelievable?

This perfectly illustrates my point about how everyone should avoid telling the truth.
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it doesn't illustrate anything, except maybe what a sad little world you live in
 
Myky D said:
I'm sorry to have upset you. I didn't mean it personally. I'll keep my opinions to myself from now on.
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you haven't upset me at all :)...I just think you must be in a very sad place if you really think everybody functions or thinks as you do. I'm really not sure if you believe what you're saying or its just for the hell of it?
 
Play nicely please :nono:
 
Myky D said:
Either way it's good - it completely removes any perceived "authority" in opinions...
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Of course! Nobody who takes images as their profession, day-in, day-out could possibly make any statement regarding photography that carries any weight whatsoever... :cuckoo:

I mean, it's not like they have any inkling as to the intricacies of running a business or taking images to suit a brief, in conditions often unfavourable to producing any images, let alone pleasing ones...

Unlike hobbyist photographers who have the luxury of taking images when the conditions are perfect, without regard to weather conditions, location being unsuitable, clients breathing down your neck, subjects being uncooperative etc etc etc...

That statement of yours has as much merit as a chocolate fireguard.
The further opinions of this professional photographer won't make it past the swear filter...
 
I can see Myky D's perspective!!

Face it, a lot of us (none-togs) are in progressions because we got bills to pay, not because we love working! ;)

And I've worked for enough conglomerates that really don't care what they sell, so long as they get good money for it.

That's not to say it's right!
 
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