I wanted to do a fun but informative blog that wasn’t bam bam rules do it. So I was like well what are the top things you do or think about? And then are they relevant and should other photographers do the same?

That is how 10 Commands of Photography was born.

1. Do Not Work For Free

The problem here is that there are so many people/businesses/entities out there all to willing to ask or seek you out to work for free. What happens is while it may help grow your skills you are undervaluing your work by saying your work is worth nothing. You will continue to see a lot of no pay jobs and it can be hard to ever get compensated for what you are worth and deserve. Plus it does make it harder for photographers in the field because it undervalues photography as a whole. So charge!

2. Create Backups! Save Often! and Save on multiple Devices!

Ok so you have a ton of amazing images, you have worked really hard on editing but haven’t saved them and your computer crashes. You just lost hours of work. You are starting all over. You are frustrated and angry. Stop the cycle by frequently saving your progress— if its graphic design save it as an editable file so you do not lose current progress! Also always keep your photographs stored in multiple devices because you never know when one will fail complete or die. You do not want to lose years worth of work.

3. Never rely on Filters.

This seems so self explanatory but a lot of photographers fall in the trap of loving how filters make their photographs work. My thought is can this photo stand the test of time or will the filter make it look dated when this crazy fad ends?

4. Develop thick skin.

Photographers take a lot of criticism. We have to be able to hear critics and be positive and keep on keeping on. Having a sense of optimism is key to survival because as much as I want to say shit doesn’t happen, it does and sometimes it really is a sucker punch to the gut. Persevere and shoot on!

5. Be professional and prepared!

We can live and die by our reputation. The key is always being prepared and professional. Leave early, arrive early, be a boss at client service, make them sing your praises, make sure batteries are charged and memory cards are prepared. You do not want to arrive with a dead battery. How you are as a professional will follow you everywhere and if there is ever drama—we are artist and creatives it does happen— your professionalism will carry you no matter what craziness is going on.

6. No photographer bashing.

Guys other photographers are not the enemy. Sure they are the competition but if you don’t use them to grow yourself and your skills you are doing it wrong. Offer constructive criticism of their work, be a mentor to those entering the field, be positive, and remember photography is an art and we all have our own preferences. Be kind, be supportive, and be nice.

7. Do not be rude.

Photographers have a negative connotation of just taking pictures of whoever, wherever without asking first. Yes we are also often mistaken or confused for paparazzi which doesn’t help. Be aware of what you are shooting and where you are shooting. It doesn’t hurt to ask permission to photography someone or their kids. Sometimes awesome things can come from it. Be humble and kind. Let certain clients approach you and ask to be photographed don’t just assume you can or will get the chance.

8. Don’t get hung up on gear.

Gear is great. We all love that new camera smell. We all love those huge and expensive lenses. But our budgets may not allow for all the best stuff out there and that is ok. You can make amazing images with cheaper equipment. Equipment mastery is far more powerful than the best gear out there. The better you know you gear and how to use it the more appealing your work will be over someone constantly getting something new. They may miss shots because they don’t know the gear as well as someone shooting with the same beat up lens they started with a decade ago.

9. Do not be overconfident.

Confidence is a great thing and you should be confident but do not be overconfident. We are human and prone to mistakes. Nothing hurts more than being so confident you brag about how you can get any shot and then you miss it completely. Work hard, be humble, and let your work show you confidences.

10. Keep on learning.

Never stop learning. Photography is forever evolving and so should you. Growing stagnant in your skills and in the technology needed in the field will make this work much harder. Always be ready to learn something new. because you may just love it.