Giving Back As A Photographer Is More Important Than Perhaps You Realize?
I can safely assume that most of the photographers reading this article have read many other articles on this site and other sites alike.
You see, there are many free online resources where you can learn a whole lot about everything and anything photography. That is what I will refer to as “the community” from now on.
So, “the community”, particularly bloggers, devote time and energy to write articles that teach you something or to share their experiences with you.
You'll likely consume articles like that many times throughout your learning pace, and with that, you are consuming what the community is offering you. You build yourself upon that and gradually improve as a photographer.
The Circle Of Life
There will be a point in time when you will improve to the level that articles will rarely teach you something completely new, and most of the new things you will learn will come from personal experience – that's completely natural, like a circle of life (a photographer's life).
That means that you are at the point in life where photography, as an area of expertise, is something that you feel knowledgeable in. Great stuff!
The internet and the real world vastly relies on selfless people sharing their (expert) knowledge with others. Every single scientific advancement depended on that. Actually, every single achievement depended on that. In fact, everything you do depends on that.
What I am asking you to do, awesome reader, in the name of everybody that shares their knowledge with the world, and in the name of everybody that consumes it in order to improve themselves, is to share your knowledge with the world.
Today, as you're aware, the internet makes it really easy to do – just a simple blog is enough.
Maybe it might seem insignificant in the vast pool of information floating around the internet, and to be honest it might be. But if it helps one person to do one thing, it is already doing some good.
Giving Back Outside Of Blogging
If articles aren’t your thing, there are multiple other ways that you can contribute to the community in order to make it grow and to enrich the pool of information and experiences that float around the internet.
For example, you are probably using Facebook and other social media sites, whether they are for photographers (for example our forums, or 500px), and on these sites there are members or groups of members who need help with certain things.
If you can help them, devoting a few minutes of your day to do so will mean a lot to them, and will make you feel better about yourself as well.
Personally, I'm a member of more than 20 groups on Facebook related to photography, I have my own blog, and I am writing here, for Lightstalking.
When possible, I do try to answer every comment here and on my blog too, and when I can, I try to provide useful insights to people in need of help on social media. To be honest, I spend around 30 minutes to an hour per day doing so.
I have friends and acquaintances who are also photographers or are learning to be photographers (also my direct competition, or future competition) but I still try to teach them what they need in order to become great photographers or at least better than their current state.
That is why I would advise you, awesome reader, that hanging out with more and less experienced photographers alike is also something you should do often. You can learn from the more experienced photographers, and you can let the less experienced photographers learn from you.
Summary
At the end of the day, the amount of experience you or anybody else has only amounts to one thing: Creating Art.
Capturing moments forever is something all photographers have in common, and as such helping each other to achieve just that in the best possible way shouldn't be something that you avoid, it should be something that you look forward to.
Perhaps this article seems a little too personal, but I feel great when I help people advance in photography and in any other field that I can help them with.
I can confidently say the same about the rest of the Light Stalking members and writers, therefore don’t hesitate to ask questions because I am certain there's somebody to answer them.
Whether you will use the comments sections under each article, or our forums, or send personal messages, it doesn’t matter. You will get an answer as soon as possible.
If you are already contributing back to the community, I thank you, and I hope you will continue doing so.
Photographers Giving Back – Top Takeaways
- If you don't have one, consider starting a FREE blog. Share your ideas, thought processes, your photographs and inspiration.
- Join Photography Facebook groups or forums to help out where you can – sometimes a couple of minutes replying to someone's comment s all it needs to really help them out!
- When surrounding yourself with other photographers, ask questions to those more experienced and provide answers to those who are less experienced than you.
Further Resources
- 7 Ideas For The Ultimate Photography Experience by Federico Alegria
- 6 Photo Sharing Sites: Which One is Right for You? by Jason D. Little
- Do You Genuinely Want To Improve As A Photographer? Share The Ideas Behind Your Images by Dzvonko Petrovski
Further Learning
Ever considered learning the Art of Cityscapes?
It can help build your abilities, confidence and just get 100% comfortable with your camera, so that when you’re sharing your best work, it shows!
