Building Confidence As A Photographer | Matt Irwin
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ย. 2024
- #Shyness #Confidence #Photography
You want to be a photographer, you want to photograph people ... what do you do?
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I am writing this comment from Japan.
For the first time, I comment on an overseas photographer.
Your impression from TH-cam seems very sincere.
I'm a Nikon Z7 user.
I think that what photographers need from now on is not only still, but also visual expression that adds movement, music, poetry, and sound.
Of course, I think it's obvious that still photos are required to be excellent.
I'm sorry in my poor English.
I believe TH-cam or a higher power recommended this video to me at the right time. Normally I'm a sports and dance photographer who doesn't control the action but rather does his best to capture it. I've been asked to take a couple of team photos for the local sports team and this has given me anxiety. I know that I can do it quickly, easily, and better than a parent with a phone. I've even taken portraits at the local secondary school's formal dance, which required a proper lighting setup, an assistant, and a bunch of antsy teenagers! Hopefully one day I'll have the confidence to just say yes, get the job done, and move on to the next. There is a reason they asked me, after all.
For sure you can do it. Perhaps do some practice sessions, then you’ll have no doubt. 😀📸👍
Great video - thanks for sharing your experience we all suffer anxiety at some stage.
Yep performance can be tough at times :)
Another great video Matt. I love the craft of photography and like many photographers, I am genuinely interested in people.
I want to do more portrait work (As much as I love landscapes, somebody has already usually been there before you!). but I have to get out of my own way. Time to put concrete plans and resources in place so I can make my projects come to life.
Cheers Steve
For sure Steve no better time than today to get started. 🚀📸
Awesome video!
Glad you enjoyed it Shy Glo. Cheers Matt
Hi Matt, so another nice video about your journey as a photographer. I enjoy that you share how you became the photograper you are today and I enjoy your pics and I learn from you so thank you very much for what you are doing as a photographer.
Awesome, thank you Pär it is a pleasure to share, and connect with creatives around the globe, I think that is the main joy for me. Cheers Matt
One point to remember when you are the expert at a function or event your often know more than everyone there. So as the photographer at an event, you are the expert and people will normally defer to the expert's judgement. This is applicable to most fields.
Great point Jay, took me a while to work that out. Cheers Matt
Works alright.., as long as there aren’t any other „experts“ around. 😉
Actually, in a random group of 100 people, 85 of them will think they are the expert since they have a phone camera or point and shoot. Photography is one of those subjects that everyone is so used to doing and seeing images by the thousands daily that they think it i is easy. Like everyone is sure they are an expert driver when most are a danger to humanity. About the same percentage who think they are above average intelligence or great lover.
There are no experts in image creation, however, that is determined by a viewer and an image and each print or file has to stand o its own perceived merits. In fact, many photographers are not experts at all because they are always surprised by which photo of an album people like the most. The LEAST experts in photography are found on TH-cam channels giving camera or equipment reviews because they would reject most images audiences would like because the image had some technical flaw or when blown up 300% does not have a perfect focus on an eye. Audiences have more innate esthetic expertise by instantly liking something or not without even noticing technical flaws. Besides the technical flaws being ignored, humans viewing art have a lifetime of experience that molds their sense of esthetics, which the photographer is not privy to.
As a life long "shy" person and a small TH-camr myself, this really hits home. Thank you for sharing.
Glad it was helpful! SE keep fighting the good fight. Cheers Matt
Matt, I deliberately carry a camera to those social events I'm unhappy attending. The camera allows me to attend with a purpose, and gives me an excuse to 'escape' behind it when things become uncomfortable or I get fed up with the company. I make no apology for it. Photography is my escape, if it were possible to make it a profession I would be reluctant to do so. But you are right, cameras are great hiding places.
I love that Phil, I actually in my teens and 20's did exactly the same thing. Documenting every party, and every moment of our lives ... that is a lovely reminder of something I had forgotten. Cheers Matt
Thanks for your candour, and sharing. Still trying to break free.
You are so welcome Bernard, and you will. Keep practising in a safe space, and as time passes it just becomes second nature ... : ) Cheers Matt
I am hopless in big crowds and being partially sighted makes me worse, mind you years ago I used to work event safety at concerts and dealt with lots of people. Since starting to do the model shoots I am getting better and even better when the model loves the stuff we are producing
Yeah Andrew, there is nothing better than positive affirmation to keep the work flowing. Congrats. Keep pushing yourself. :) Cheers Matt
Good to see your channel growing Matt! P.s. weddings are horrific 😆
"Took a while though, took a decade or two." Took me back to square one. 😢
We learn how to behave through observation of others, parents or peers and through feedback we get in that. Portrait and event photography are such a "foreign" social context that we don't have a behavioral reference model. We need to learn how to lead, manipulate, etc. If we cannot learn that in a "by example" context, as in second shooter or assistant, then we have to learn by trial and error. Which will take longer and be more frustrating. The essence though is to JFDI - just freaking do it. Watching TH-cam can create the awareness, but not the learning people need. It's about the 10,000 hours you need to master a profession, or develop Olympic sports skills.
Yes for sure :)
Tbh a good subject matt and not one many people will own up to , I am at the stage where I want to push into making some sort of money from my photos but a not sure how to and also nervous about doing a good job lol
Neil, best way is to keep shooting, and there will be a point where it feels like second nature. That is the time you know you are ready. :)
Matt, your brief look into your portrait shooting and direction informs you have done that many times and you understand how to direct for, hence create, a flattering shot. This is where the 10,000 times practicing to become an experienced photographer come in. It explains your 10 to 20 years.
Yep the 10,000 hours is a real thing for sure. Then it becomes second nature, and muscle memory. :) Cheers Matt
Awesome Video . Love watching your channel from Sunny Perth.
Will love if you can make a video on how to expose for highlights using Nikon Z6.
Noted, thanks so much Virat, what is your FAV Z lens? Cheers Matt
@@MattIrwinPhotography i love 35 1.8S and 14-30 F4. I have got 24-70 2.8s coming soon and hope it is as good as what I have heard.
@@ViratShah Let me know what you think of the 24-70 2.8 I don't have one. : )
Sir, what is that music in the intro? And thank you for sharing your experience.
Yes, I still struggle with street photography
Always scared someone will be offended or very angry
A valid concern I can assure you 👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼
Yep totally a problem, and something to always be mindful and aware, 1 in 100 people take it badly ...
As a one-time professional wedding and portrait photographer I can totally agree with you. That type of work is 90% controlling people and only 10% photography. That's NOT meaning photographic SKILLS! But unless you are quite literally "at one" with your gear you're going to struggle to control (sometimes even dominate) people. Neither discipline is for anyone with a shy disposition! Nice subject to cover Matt.
Thanks Alan, one thing I love about large group portraiture, as it happens in other things besides weddings, is it is trial by fire. And now days I enjoy working with large groups of various varieties and playing the director. : ) Cheers Matt
Several psychological factors play. One may be that we implicitly reduce our social status (ranking) when we ask somebody for something. Asking directions. Ordering a pizza. This has been researched and we can now say the best invention for men of the past 1,000 years was the electronic navigation system. Men don't have to ask directions anymore.
The insecurity to loose social respect or status may lead to asking questions in a stammering, apologetic way. You have lost it. Now imagine the alternative. Step to somebody in a resolute way, hey you, tell me where central station is! You placed yourself above the other in the pecking order. This may result in conflict, though, if the other feels it like that. Observe how females photographer can be extremely directive, unapologetically so. They are not instinctively felt as a threat by men nor women, in the way men are perceived. Yes, the hurdle for men is much taller.
I can see that with asking for directions a little, but not with ordering a pizza, it's been so long now I cannot remember what I was even afraid of ... : ) I think it was rejection, rather than social status ....
Hi Matt, any upcoming videos about how to shoot at night street photography?
Yes Rob, currently in production, here is an image from the shoot :) th-cam.com/users/postUgz1jukHsgyaZR9axCR4AaABCQ
@@MattIrwinPhotography Thank you Matt. Im looking forward to the video. For some reason the link didn’t work.
@@2klember try this one th-cam.com/users/MattIrwinPhotographycommunity first post
Introspection and vulnerability are sometimes the emotional antithetical analogue of Dunning-Kruger syndrome. I hope that makes sense. I'm not certain that it does.
The opposite is to have skill and no belief in it ... there certainly could be a lot in that ... doubt and fear are powerful. That is why we must stare them in the eyes and make peace. :)
Matt Irwin Photography Wise.
Shyness and confidence, when I’m taking photos I’m confident but really really had to put on my big boy pants to share some of my photos on Facebook sites like nikon lovers, shyness doesn’t come close to describing it. As a ex teacher I’m used to talking and having all eyes on me, but photos are so very personal. Several people have said they would buy my photos yet I haven’t done it because my confidence falls over.
Sell one sir. You will be on cloud 9 for a month. And if they are asking, they mean it. Give yourself that joy. Cheers Matt
Wow you've sure come a long way ,we would never know you were shy. You do your videos so professionally, very inspirational well done , thanks Matt for sharing. 👍😀
Thank you so much Luke, yep it has been a long road, and I could not have made these videos 25 years ago, and even when I started this with the first one in 2016, it was hard, but once you have made a couple of hundred it gets easier every time. Plus at the launches of all of my books, I have deliberately forced myself to stand up and make speeches in front of large crowds, the media, Lord Mayors, etc, that is terrifying, but every time gets easier ... public speaking has been the hardest for me, and I forced myself to do it ... and after a while, you realise you can do it ....
@@MattIrwinPhotography well done 💯👌
I did tech support for the City and at first it was very stressful when they would call you into a meeting because the laptop wouldn't talk to the projector. Eventually I was cool with it since it would either work or not. No pressure as it wasn't MY meeting! Then I started doing a wee bit of photographer duties because; well, I was available. Amazing how people turn into sheep and are perfectly willing to move where ever you need them. In both areas I got away with a lot. Mainly because it was all in fun - both need relaxed users so if you relax the user 99% of the problem goes away.
Well said Ronald, indeed it is about connecting. :)
I don’t think shy is necessarily the correct term. But I think we camera types prefer to observe the world from the outside and be somewhat detached from others. Personally I have no intention of changing, I like being detached from this crazy ass world 😂
For sure Lazy Dog, I think what we are talking about comes in many shapes and sizes, and is different for all of us :) What you describe is a percentage of me too :)
Don’t you just love Thomas
He does well, and has been very succesful. To have a channel his size is an amazing achievement : )
Do you recommend going to school/online before i can be confident being out on the field?
I actually think it does not matter how you learn photography, and in a way learning in the field teachers you hard and fast what you need to know for you. But we all learn differently, I learn fastest when it is practical. Some people learn best when they hear it, some when they read it. Which do you think you are? Cheers Matt
Matt Irwin Photography you’re spot on. I myself worked for resort photography at one point and with me doing shots 4 times a week makes me feel comfortable talking to people. I have many of lessons on creative live but still not satisfied because no coach saying you’re doing it wrong. I need to learn more on posing people.
@@AgentO113 Yes posing people is hard, it is something that takes time and confidence. And to be honest we don't all look the same, so the same rules for posing don't apply to all people. Sometimes it is about watching your subject for a while waiting for them to reveal themselves to you. : )
I do not recommend schools for the arts but it helps to have an appreciation for why the masters are considered such. For example, to learn light/shadows, perspective an art appreciation class can help by in regard to painting. Visit great museums and galleries to explore how the masters used light to tell stories that transcend time. Between Da Vinci, Vermeer and Rembrandt alone are enough to teach how to communicate in 2D and limited dynamic range. Seeing them in person is best. Ask yourself why you got the impression you got when seeing them. It was deliberate and intentional by the artist that their message reached 3-400 years into the future You do not need photography schools for that. You can read a book about the exposure triad and have all you need technically but everything else only has value as your own re-invention of the craft. That is where your style comes from, that sets you apart from others.
@@stanspb763 Well said sir.
Hmm.., does your concept of shyness, if I may call it so, include the fear of not being fit for the task, or another way around: did you fear that your work is maybe not going to be good enough? In my case that’s what often lets me down and think everybody is better than I. Which of course is not the case, at least not everyone. That notion may well be as harmful as having trouble asking people for a shooting. At least for me that has hindered me to ask people for a shooting, as I’d like to try that out. Human vanity can be strong at times and if you fail to catch them at their best you’re in for tar and feathers. That’s why I’m mostly into city and architecture photography. Buildings do not complain.
Indeed, performance outcome anxiety may well be a big part of it. In 2020 I am comfortable of my outcomes, but indeed, how a person sees themselves and how the camera catches them can always be different. My goal when getting to know someone for a session is to push them to exceed themselves. 99 times out of 100 it works out fine, and for that 1%, sometimes you have to agree to disagree and move on. :) And yes buildings and fog don't complain. : ) Cheers Matt
Imagine if a tribe of wanna be Bruce Gildens hit the streets of Melbourne or Sydney? It is the other extreme. One day a couple of years ago I was on the train city bound in Melbourne & noticed a couple, she was not the magazine model type they got off at Parliament, total stranger I asked if I could take her photo & she said yes.Got a great photo of a distinctive individual on the steps of Parliament, other was the dug deal outside at H&M very quick one shot, other was the media scrum outside the court getting shots of Rebel Wilson I think I had my Oly E30 & 14-54 lens.As a teen or in my 20's I would not be seen doing this, it took a while for to be able to do this.
It just takes time doesn't it. We all slowly build our confidence and skill over time :)
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Hi Matt, Your so right I did wedding back in the 1980's over three year I must of done 40+ and yes I could hide behind my camera and did, There is so much work most people then did not thing about they to get people it the right places. Now I see its great it OK to do a pre wedding shoot and even take the bride and groom off for a shoot else were, But I feel I lake so much confidence I love shooting studio portraits I have all the kit but asking people to sit or even finding a model just scares me so much. Now I am old I am just giving up. But I do like your videos. :) I have even been published in N-Photo magazine this January but I still get scared....
John thanks so much for sharing candidly. When asking for a portrait the hardest thing someone can say is 'NO'. But someone will say 'yes' too. And if you can cope with a few 'no's' then you will succeed for sure with a 'yes' eventually, just a numbers game. A you will love it, and be buoyed to do it again. Do you have a link to the published image? Cheers Matt
@@MattIrwinPhotography Hi Matt, Not sure how to do this but the published image are in N-Photo issue 106 January 2020. I do have a digital version the I would seen you but I can not find away of doing the here. I hope you are well and all going well too,
I've often wondered how I would react to being a paid photographer, I've got a website where I post some of my better shots, but I am unsure whether I want to do it or not. I guess it isn't a question of shyness for me, more a matter of what, who, when, where, and why. If someone offered me good money to go and shoot surfing in Hawaii, or birds in Costa Rica, or body surfers at Bondi I would jump at the chance. But how much to charge etc... these are things I and I suspect others have a lot of questions about.
Thanks for sharing, and yes the professional level adds an extra level or 17 of having to get it right quickly, on time, in budget etc. I like the sound of your future professional gigs. Let me know if you need an assistant ;) Indeed pricing is a difficult one, is this something worthy of a video? Cheers Matt
Matt Irwin Photography yes indeed!
How do you face your fears when photographing?
Not anymore..................... I'm old looking, I look older than dirt, that people think I know what the hell I doing............................ hAAAHAHAHHAAAAaaahhhhaahahahahah
@@pauldhoff LOL that is great :)
Railroad Tracks................... geeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Whiskey
Why fight it? Just shoot landscapes 😂
LOL indeed Jeff, that is where I started :) Cheers Matt