WHY YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SUCKS


It seems like everyone wants to be a photographer nowadays, and I guarantee that if you're a newer photographer, as soon as you posted on your socials, "Hey guys, I've just started a photography business!" a lot of your photographer friends rolled their eyes.


Why?

Because they're douche bags?

No. They just have a few limiting beliefs:


  1. They think the market is oversaturated.
  2. They think you're going to pull business from them.
  3. You're no good so they write you off as a newb with a camera.
  4. They're jealous of your enthusiasm.
  5. They're just a grumpy old fart.


The thing is...


We all start somewhere and there is always plenty of business to go around. And the market IS oversaturated... With mediocre photographers. So be different. It's that easy!


So if you're a newer photographer or just one looking to improve your skills and mindset, this article is for you. And chances are... Your photography does suck. Just maybe not for the reason you think.


There are 5 things that I feel like make a great photograph:


  1. Composition
  2. Posing
  3. Lighting
  4. Color/Style
  5. The story it tells. (Hint-this is the most important)


If you skip the perfect composition but your photo tells a captivating story, in my opinion, you've still created a masterpiece.


With that being said, I do believe it is our job as the professional to master every single one of these things. One of the most baffling things I hear during a session is when my client tells me their last photographer didn't even pose them and they're so grateful I know my posing. And I pose with them! I'm a ballerina, a classy businessman, a whimsical fairy- whatever the occasion calls for! In the world of Carl (my one and only world) if you want to call yourself a good photographer you need to know how to pose your clients. Unless someone is a professional model there is absolutely no reason why they should know how to place themselves in 30 different poses while already feeling the pressure of being in front of a camera with a potential total stranger- so take that off their plate and learn how to pose them yourself.


DO NOT BE SHY.


If you're shooting headshots and you think they need to move their left pinky finger 2 millimeters to the right then tell them to do it. They'll do it. You're the professional and they've hired you for a reason. Half the time when I do that, I find it worked better where it was at, but you don't know till you try so go for it anyway. There is no perfect process when it comes to art- it is simply the willingness to try that counts.


Now, say you've mastered composition, posing, lighting, and colors/style, how do you tell a story?


This is the hardest thing to achieve, and therefore the very reason why your photography still sucks. Photographers who have been working for decades still miss this piece.


In my experience working as a portrait photographer for ten years, the best way to tell a story with a photo is to know what story you're trying to tell. You're the artist so if you bring a client in for a creative shoot - tell them your vision! Tell them the emotions and the conflict you're trying to portray. This needs to be clear for your chosen model-but also for you as the creator. If you have a client coming in for a branding or headshot session, get to know them on a deeper level. Ask what story they are trying to tell their audience. What drives them to do what they do? What is their why? Get to know them intimately. They will feel more connected to you and that will show in their photo.


"Your photos can only be as good as your connection to the photographer."


So if your connection sucks? The photos suck.


There is so much more to people that we ever give them credit for and that should be shared.

Susana Kennedy | a portrait by Carl James

As cheesy as this sounds, it is my goal to capture the true essence of everyone I photograph. "Soul photography" - if you will.


Anyone can take a photo. I could teach a thousand people the technical side of the art. But who is going to take the time to connect soul-to-soul with their clients and capture them in all of their uniqueness?


Very few.


I want to show their strengths, their power, their highest self. But I also want to show their softness, their vulnerability, and their weaknesses. I also want this portrait to inspire them. I want them to see all of their pieces in the most beautiful and connected way possible and I want them to walk away seeing themselves as a beautiful work of art.


How do you do this?


Connect with them.


Care. Listen. Be vulnerable. Ask a million questions. Don't pry, but be caring and empathetic to their story and they will share what they're comfortable with! Love them. Be a good fucking human.


If you don't love people this much then you are in the wrong business.


Lastly, (and arguably the most crucial piece of this) you can only connect with people to the level you've connected with yourself. So do the hard inner work, work through your shit, and learn to love yourself for all your bits and pieces! Be gentle with yourself, but tough when it's time to get to work.


Find the beauty and uniqueness in every face you see - including your own. LOVE people. It will show in your work. :)




Thanks for reading!


-Carl James