If you really want to achieve an identity not only in photography but in any sector of life. Never try to get validation from anyone! Find your position or purpose first before starting anything.
Almost 90% of the photographers are lost! Yes, it's true. They are lost because they start photography without a purpose. Since the beginning of my photography career, I have been seeing most photographers are much more concerned about equipment buying and learning, which is fine! Without proper (not necessarily the best) equipment a photographer can't do photography.
But photography is not something about having a good camera and lens vagabonding different places to capture haphazard moments for self-enjoyment. Because this kind of self-enjoyment can be harmful to you and society as well. Yes!
I have been teaching photography since 2015 almost, and I know a huge amount of professionals step into photography to make it a passion. But after getting into this puzzling field they get confused and frustrated. Consequently, they become a confused conformist photographer! Which is sad but true.
A conformist photographer requires social validation as a photographer. They only aspire to get appreciation from others (even unknown people) for each and every photograph they publish. When they get a sufficient amount of appreciation, they try to continue it without taking care of any other significant factors of photography.
Don't work for an applause. Work for a (significant) cause! - Gaur Gopal Das
Many times they even violate the ethics to maintain the quantity of getting the useless appreciation. Consequently, they get entrapped into a small pond, where they only focus on getting appreciation and useless certificates from different organizations, which is harmful to themselves. These appreciations are ephemeral and will not help you get an identity for sure.
And, when they fail to get enough attention on different social platforms, they consider either photography or the technology of camera and lens difficult. As a result, they quit or pause it for a long while. This is also the phase where photographers try different photography courses, which they find useless after a couple of months again.
And all of these happen because people start anything including photography, without finding a greater purpose. What leads them towards the doom of desiring to become a social star of photography, where most of the thriving photographers lot a potential identity of being a notable photographer.
I have seen photographers click magnificent images without knowing where to use their photography skills. As they consider photography a mere way of capturing moments. So they do it as a 2nd great child who paints the wall without any purpose except happiness.
But I am sorry to tell you that the field of photography is completely different from the wall painting days of your childhood. And it should be different. Because your wall has limited exposure and it's not visible publicly.
But the image you share on the internet has a way more dangerous impact on the society you live. In my upcoming book, I have elaborated on all the concerns related to images.
Through this article, my sole intention is only spreading out an awareness that a photographer without a purpose is a person who often gets lost in the crowd of millions of cameramen. To get an identity not only in photography but in any sector of life you need a purpose. So people can remind you with the reference of your purposeful work.
As a photographer, knowing the why: why do you want to become a photographer is way more important than understanding the difference between a DSLR and a mirrorless camera. If you are about to start photography, then start finding the answer to the 'why' now.
You can also get this lecture in our photography masterclass of RAP Education to understand this topic and some other important topics as well in detail.
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