In photography, the transition from emotion to frustration is much shorter than you can imagine and even more so if you are starting to learn photography (in that case I recommend this very complete guide to guide you in learning photography ).
Frustration is the order of the day. Why? Because this undesirable feeling arises to the extent that what you want to happen, finally does not happen. This feeling is not only the power of the beginner photographer (although it is more frequent) but also advanced and professional photographers are also victims of frustration as they do not reach (or believe they have not reached) the objectives that have been set.
In any case, the frustration of an amateur photographer, when taking his first steps, must be managed in such a way that it does not end up causing a loss of motivation and therefore, the abandonment of this beautiful way of seeing the world that is through the photos.
This is why, if you are in those days when you think you will never be as good as the great masters, you feel overwhelmed and want to turn off your camera for a while, you cannot stop reading today's article.
DON'T BE FOOLED
Success, contrary to what it may seem to you, has nothing to do with being young, a millionaire and successful. Perhaps this is the concept of success that has been installed, unfortunately, in the society in which we live today, in which if the rest does not perceive that you are a successful person, everything stops making sense.
Success is nothing more than the fulfillment of the goals that one has set for himself and has managed to achieve. The race to success is not a race against everything that surrounds you, but on the contrary, the only opponent is yourself.
Success should be the satisfaction of having achieved a goal, but in no way should the goal be success.
To the extent that you can turn your passion into work and your work into reality, that is where true success will come, whatever you do.
REMEMBER: YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Frustration and lack of encouragement is something from which no person is exempt, or at least, no one who has set a goal and believes that it is not possible to achieve it. In art, this is usually very frequent. That is why it is very important that you understand that you are not alone and you are not the only one who is going through the same situation: amateurs, advanced photographers and even professionals stumble upon frustration much more often than you think.
Surely, and on more than one occasion, you have probably thought that you made the wrong vocation because you are not good enough. In these moments you must remember that we have all gone through the same situation and the same feelings, but what is really important is what do you plan to do with it?
You can let the frustration dominate you and end up abandoning this wonderful art (please don't do it) or you can use that frustration as fuel to go out in search of new paths and new solutions. All crises represent great opportunities: an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to change, and an opportunity to grow.
As a poem by Antonio Machado says: "Walker there is no path, the path is made by walking".
Remember that there are many photographers like you who are in the same situation, so if you ask a little around you, even your friends, it is very likely that they have experienced the same feelings and their photos today are surely much better. than those of yesterday.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE WRONG
You may think that making mistakes is wrong and that if you make a lot of mistakes you are doing the wrong thing. Let me tell you that this is not the case: if you make many mistakes, it means that you are doing, trying and working to improve.
Professional or renowned photographers have achieved this thanks to the large number of mistakes they have made and that allowed them to acquire the experience that today allows them to obtain the results they obtain with their photographs. The difference between you and them is that: the number of errors they carry in their backpacks.
The learning process requires you to make mistakes, which is why, if you want to acquire more experience and greater knowledge, you must make a lot of mistakes. The more you mess up, the closer you'll be to achieving your next great photograph.
"The only man who is not wrong is the one who never does anything."
Johann Wolfgang Goethe
BETTER OUTSIDE THAN INSIDE
If you feel discouraged and don't want to keep taking photos, don't let these feelings take over. The best way to combat them is by talking to your loved ones, your friends or other photographers who can give you advice or a word of encouragement.
One of the best ways to combat your fears and frustrations is by sharing your feelings with people who allow you to change the air a bit, give you their points of view or why not, tell you how they have done to overcome similar situations. Talking about it always helps, try it.
DON'T TAKE CRITICISM PERSONALLY
Photography, like all art, is very subjective, therefore, some people may like it and others not so much. Criticism is normal and you have to learn to live with it. Beyond how derogatory they may be or make you feel, try to get the best out of each of them and take them as something positive.
Not to mention if you upload your photographs to a page or discussion group or an Internet forum, where with just a few characters your work of art can be left on the ground. Do not take it personally, the people who want to help you improve your work will advise you and it is those criticisms that you should give more importance to. Criticism should serve to build your work and not to destroy it and even less for just a photograph.
Remember that you are in a race against yourself and everything you can use, even if they are critical, to gain more momentum in search of the goal, you must take advantage of it.
TURN CRITICISM INTO OPPORTUNITIES
One review can make you feel like you're the best photographer in the world, and another can make you want to flip your camera around. Neither before the good reviews you are the best nor before the bad ones the worst. It's just about being objective enough to try to analyze, cold, the comments you receive when sharing your work.
Turn criticism into opportunities to improve.
ANALYZE AND ADMIRE YOUR WORK
An excellent source of inspiration is to see (and analyze) the work of other photographers, but this is not the only way: take some time to appreciate and analyze your own work. Why not?
I am 100% sure that if I review your catalog of photographs, I will surely want to make a painting with many of them to hang in my living room. Why won't you believe in yourself?
If after a photo session you have been somewhat disappointed with the photos you have been able to capture, take a moment to see what went wrong and why, so that the next time you are faced with a similar situation, you can take advantage of it. to the max.
Also, when you are somewhat tired or disappointed, go through your catalog of photographs and take some time to appreciate your best photos. Remind yourself why you have chosen photography as a medium to express yourself.
Seeing your own works will remind you that you can achieve what you set your mind to, it just requires patience and that you work accordingly to achieve it.
You are an excellent photographer, it only remains for you to realize it.
FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR PHOTOS
The moment of releasing a photograph to the public can cause you both excitement and frustration.
Publishing a photograph to find out what other people think of it, whether they are photographers or not, may not have the expected effects. Remember that the important thing in all this is to obtain different points of view that help you enhance the way you take pictures.
Pay special attention to all those criticisms and comments that recommend different compositions, other types of framing, or different ways of enhancing your messages so that you can experiment and put them into practice in future productions.
And don't forget to sign up for any challenge or contest you see on the internet and don't be discouraged if the prizes take a little longer than expected to arrive, after all, the important thing is to follow the path and not so much the destination.
TO GET TO YOUR DESTINATION, YOU HAVE TO PLAN YOUR WAY
Frustration appears when what you want and what ends up happening are not at all alike and this often happens when, victims of anxiety, you are more focused on the final photograph than on working to achieve it.
Although having a photograph in mind is spectacular, in fact, knowing where you want to go is much more difficult than you can imagine, walking the path that leads you to it can be doubly complicated.
For this reason, work accordingly to all those photographs that you want to obtain and do not rest until you have achieved them. Once you have it in your hands (or your computer screen) you can look back and feel proud of all the effort you've put in.
Remember that the important thing is to walk the road, much more than reaching your destination.
THE BEST CAMERA IS THE ONE YOU HAVE IN YOUR HANDS
Shortly after getting your first camera, you may be tempted to start looking for your next camera, even if you have not yet managed to get the full potential of the one you have in your hands.
Few things are as frustrating as believing that your photos are not so good because your camera does not allow it and I assure you that in most cases, this is not the case.
There's no point in spending more time thinking about how amazing your photos would be if you had a camera that costs twice as much as the one you have today than getting to know your current camera to the fullest. Concentrate on getting to know your equipment in depth so that you can make the most of it and only then, think about acquiring a camera with better features.
LEARN TO MANAGE YOUR ENTHUSIASM
Taking the first steps in the world of photography is a challenge and as such, great expectations will be generated that can end in great disappointment. That is why having a plan can help you a lot when facing it.
But be careful not to spend all your energy imagining, planning and dreaming how you plan to insert yourself into this wonderful new much and leave some of that much-needed enthusiasm for the moment you make your dreams and plans a reality.
Managing your enthusiasm when starting a new trail will prevent you from running out of fuel halfway.
NEVER GIVE UP... WITH EFFORT, SOONER OR LATER YOU WILL ACHIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SET OUT TO DO
If you think that you will never be able to take pictures that will leave those who observe them speechless, think twice: “no one was born knowing”. Those wonderful photographs that inspired you to insert yourself into this wonderful art were once taken by photographers who thought the same as you at the moment and look how far they have come.
In a few years, when your backpack is full of a bunch of mistakes, you will be able to look back and be proud of the effort you put in to get there. And don't think that "within a few years" is a long time, it's a blink of an eye. When you want to remember, you will already be there.
Be proud of your work and your effort and never give up since not only the one who achieves it succeeds, but also the one who constantly tries.
Remember that the only thing that stands between you and the success that you hope to achieve is the desire and the time that you dedicate to trying to achieve it. If what you do you do with passion, love and pride, success will come by itself.
