The Making of a Great Photographer

Imagine the impact on your life if the only way you could learn about photography was through manuals and web sites. There would be many occasions where your desire to capture the moment would be lost. With no one to turn to and no easy options, you could not progress any further and develop your passion for photography.

Without learning the shortcuts for great image making, and without having someone explain or interpret complex technical details, your progress would practically grind to a halt.

Photography is no different than any other personal pursuit. We get involved in our hobbies and passions to expand ourselves and to express our humanity through different means. The drive to find beauty and the search for unique expressions of oneself, keeps us committed and persistent in our pursuits. We cannot just simply create amazing results without an endless investment of time and energy in learning, experimenting and building a repertoire of expertise and experience.

Malcolm Gladwell discusses in his book Outliers that top performers, people who excel in their field, are not there just from their own efforts, but from the contributions of lots of different people in different circumstances. That means performance is much more than just natural talent.

We need everyone to help us mold our opportunities for learning, personal growth and success. It’s true that some are blessed with more resources or financial means, and others have an inherent facility for a particular craft or skill, but that is not enough. We have to work at building our experiences as we perfect our craft. The expression “an over night success” doesn’t apply. Gladwell states that it requires 10,000 hours of practical experience to become an expert. He cites many examples from professional hockey players to the Beatles, who worked hard over multiple years to gain their fame, notoriety and achievements.

We are all connected, but the number and quality of these connections make the difference. The community of the camera club offers us the opportunity to connect with other passionate photographers. We learn, share and grow by building on our collective knowledge and experience in an open venue. We need each other to learn the shortcuts, to interpret the manuals and to create opportunities for personal growth and excellence.

Marcus Miller
President