passion

All posts tagged passion

Photographers – Are You Really Passionate About Your Work?

Posted by scottbourne on April 2, 2012
Posted in: Opinion. Tagged: , , , , , , .


I’ll never forget the day I met Air Force Staff Sergeant Stacy Pearsall (Retired.) She was with her husband (Andy) and together they coached me through a doors-off helicopter ride around Maui. Photographing from the air is something I have very little experience with. But on that day, there was something else in play. For reasons I won’t discuss here, I have trouble around helicopters – but who could resist a chance to photograph Maui from the air? So I went.

With Stacy and Andy in the back seat, I jumped in and started shooting. Stacy sensed that I was nervous and from behind me, she merely placed her hand on my shoulder in a gesture of reassurance. It was at that moment I fell in love with Stacy. Little did I know, I was sitting in a helicopter with one of the bravest and most talented photographers I’ve ever met.

Stacy Pearsall is the first female to win the coveted “Combat Photographer of the Year” award. She is the first to win it twice. During her three tours in Iraq, she earned the Bronze Star Medal and Commendation with Valor for heroic actions under fire.

While Stacy was armed with a camera, she stood alongside men who were in the middle of fierce combat. She endured amazing hardship and was forced to witness and record the deaths of men she knew well and who she considered friends. During an exchange with the enemy she helped recover the body of a dead soldier and aided her unit in defending their position.

She was injured by an IED blast on her second tour 0f Iraq, and was injured again during her third deployment. She was granted a military retirement after more than 10 years of service and today teaches and speaks about photography.

I got a chance to know Stacy a little better while we were both teaching at the Maui Photo Festival. I’ve also been on the teaching faculty with her at other conferences. Each time I see and talk with her I get to know her a little better and have come to appreciate her more and more each time.

But the thing that drew me to Stacy, beyond her kindness, is her amazing photography. The first time I saw her slide show I cried like a little girl. It was one of the most moving things I have ever seen. It is probably one of the most moving things I ever will see. I have seen several of her presentations. Each has the same impact on me – and on everyone else in the room. Her ability to capture the honor and horror of combat with a camera is incredible. Her sensitivity to people, her empathy, her vision, are all on display in her new book Shooter: Combat from Behind the Camera.

I’d say that meeting and getting the chance to become friends with Stacy has literally changed my life. She’s possibly one of the most amazing people I know and if you want to see some of the most moving photographs you’ll ever see, get her book. She deserves the support. She’s been through a great deal of pain. She still struggles with the after effects of her combat injuries. After all that, she’s still one of the most caring and beautiful people I know. I can’t imagine how she pulls it off.

Stacy Pearsall shows all of us what it’s like to be truly engaged and passionate as a photographer. As I said when I was asked by her publisher for a quote about “Shooter.”

“This book doesn’t celebrate war–it celebrates the human spirit, courage, and bravery that is required of the young men and women who risk everything to protect their country. There’s a reason that Stacy was named Combat Photographer of the Year–twice. She’s simply got the eye of an empathetic angel and the heart of the strongest lion. Buy this book – proudly display it on your coffee table and celebrate the amazing images shared here by an American hero.”

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Personal Photo Projects Keep Your Passion Alive

Posted by scottbourne on June 20, 2011
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: , .


Guest Post & Photo by Valerie Jardin – Follow Valerie on Twitter

One of the greatest satisfactions in the world is to turn your passion into a successful business. While most photographers have no desire to make a living behind the camera, it remains the ultimate goal for many. With skills and a lot of hard work the dream can become a reality. Among all the sacrifices to get there, there is one that is often ignored but can have a devastating impact on your dream if left ‘untreated’.

Like anything else, when your passion becomes a job, it can quickly become a chore. It happened to me and many other fellow photographers at one point in their career as pro shooters. For me the loss of interest was gradual, I started ‘forgetting’ my camera at home on weekends. After processing images all week for clients, I did not even want to look at my computer screen to edit my personal work on my days off. I was starting to lose the passion and the vision that had driven me to make the jump to turning pro in the first place. For many months I was reluctantly pressing the shutter and even considered quitting. I am glad to say that today my passion for photography has never been stronger nor my business more successful. What caused the switch?

I started working on personal projects and sharing my work with other photographers and photography lovers. I started a blog dedicated to only my personal photography work as well as a Facebook page where I feature my personal work and my commercial photography. I also share the work of other photographers I discover along the way. I also started writing tip articles and photo gear reviews, multiplying the opportunities to meet others with the same passion for photography. We are very fortunate to be part of a very generous and sharing community. Sharing your love for the craft helps fuel your passion and dedication.

All of a sudden my efforts paid off. My passion for photography was soon rekindled and my work got better. The results were also apparent in my professional work, I felt more confident and it showed. This change in attitude gave me the edge to better sell myself as a commercial photographer and gain new clients, which in turn allowed me to find a niche and specialize in photography genres that I truly love.

Whether you are thinking of turning pro or are already making a living as a photographer, be aware that this can happen and there are simple steps to avoid it.

-Reach out to the photography community.
-Share your personal work in a blog, on FB or other social media platforms
-Give yourself self assignments on your days off.
-Meet others who share the same passion, go on photo walks with other photographers.
-Start a photo/day or a photo/week project.
-Get out of your comfort zone and try new techniques. Experiment in photography genres that you’ve never done before. Try a lens that you don’t use for work, just for the fun of it (macro lens, special effect lens, experiment with HDR, etc.)
-Set some goals, write a list of things you want to photograph and do it!

The opportunities are limitless. Just know that if this loss of passion happens to you, it’s okay and you’re not alone. You will find your muse again, and learn from the experience. Chances are, your passion for photography will be stronger than ever as a result.

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This Post Sponsored by Animoto

Photograph What Matters To You

Posted by scottbourne on January 28, 2011
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: .


It might seem an obvious question but it still seems like I should ask it. If you don’t care about the subjects you photograph, what makes you think your audience will?

You don’t need to be concerned with changing the world with your photographs. You need to be concerned with telling a story about the things that really, truly matter to you. It doesn’t matter what they are. If the way the light falls on a fire hydrant matters to you – photograph it. If the relationship between your sisters is truly beautiful and it matters to you photograph it.

You don’t have to understand it or be an expert at it – although subject knowledge always helps. But you do have to be passionate about it – really.

Don’t be swayed by anyone else. There is only one you. And only you know what is important to you deep down.

Don’t photograph what you THINK everyone else wants you to. Photograph what YOU want to. Period. That’s where your best images will come from.

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

Now’s The Time To Follow Your Passion

Posted by scottbourne on November 9, 2009
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: .
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Copyright Scott Bourne 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Marketing guru Seth Godin wrote a blog post that really spoke to me. You can read it on Seth’s blog here. What really struck me was this quote.

“If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do work that matters, this is it. You can’t say, “but I need to make a fortune instead,” because that’s not happening right now. So you might as well join the people who can say, “I love doing this.”

We’re coming out of a recession. And people are working harder and smarter just to stay afloat. So to those of us who have this burning desire to create, why not do the same?

We should be as focused as ever on our passion for photography. If we don’t have time now, when will we have time?

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

Find Your Passion

Posted by scottbourne on October 10, 2009
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: .

FindYourPassion

(Photo is Copyright Nicole S. Young – All Rights Reserved)

Image and Post by Nicole Young – Follow Nicole on Twitter

When I was in high school one of the classes I took was astronomy. It wasn’t my favorite subject, since I’m not a huge fan of studying math and science, but I was lucky to have a very insightful teacher.

One of the things that my teacher would tell us over and over was to do what we are passionate about. I was, and still am, very passionate about photography, so I found a way to integrate it into my projects in class. I may not have received perfect scores on the written exams, but I did find my way to an observatory and, with my trusty old Nikon F4, I managed to get a few really awesome shots (one of them is the image in this post). And guess what? I got an A.

So … find your passion, and live it. Integrate it into your job, your photography, and your family. When we are passionate about something we tend to excel and shine in

My challenge to you is to make your passion a daily part of your life and, trust me, you won’t regret it one bit.

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