Shoot What You LOVE!!!

Shoot what you love

         I heard it over and over when I was meeting with professional photographers during my first year trying to go professional. “Shoot what you love.” Some said it more emphatically than others, too. My good friend, Joe Hendricks, went on a ten minute speech telling me to go for what I love to shoot before looking for money.

         I didn’t hear it loud and clear then. After countless attempts at photography fields that didn’t get me excited to go shoot, I finally gave up my selfish ambitions for money. I quickly realized that nature and landscapes were my photo gateway, even though I had no idea how I would make a dime doing it.

         But, hear me loud and clear: that shouldn’t faze us. We see people do what they love first all the time, we just don’t realize it. Take Michael Jordan for example. Do you think he started playing basketball because he wanted to make money? No! He played because he loved it!

         So, what about people who aren’t athletes? What about authors, bloggers, movie critics? They started with doing things they loved too. They loved to write stories, help people get motivated, and review movies.

         People who start by wanting to make money rarely succeed. Why? Because we can tell they aren’t passionate. We see their true intentions.

         We want to see the passionate people succeed. In sports, give me the less skilled, passionate athlete over the gifted, money making machine every time.

         When somebody is passionate, they will find a way to work tirelessly towards a goal.

         The same is true for your photography. If you love portrait photography, don’t be dismayed by the number of other portrait photographers. People will see your passion and want in on your journey.

         If you’re a wildlife photographer, don’t believe the lie that weddings are they only way to make money (I heard that over and over and over…). Stick to your passion!

         As photographers, we cannot continue to let the world tell us how to earn a living.

         Why?

         Because the world is rarely right, and it takes one person to prove it wrong.

         Will you be that person?