I am a photographer. This is my job, my vocation. It is also my hobby. It is my life, my obsession, my whole world. It is not only what I do, it is what and who I am. I see the world through the lens. Even when I don’t have a camera stuck to my face, I see the world differently. Our eyes and brain are an amazing arrangement, they work together to see an infinite amount of contrast, they correct the color of light and they focus perfectly on what you are looking at.

Unless of course you get old. Then you need reading glasses to tie your shoes.

Photography is different, the lens needs help. It needs guidance on what to focus on, And what not to focus on.

It takes a lot of practice and a lot of really crappy photographs to get to the point where you see like a camera. You have to overcome the amazing eye-brain thing and see in terms of the limitations of a camera. It’s kind of the same way you have to learn to see black and white. We don’t see in terms of grey scale. Even those that are color blind see at least some color, even if it’s not the same way most of us do. Seeing in scales of grey takes a lot of practice.

I teach photography at Colorado Mesa University Tech. Not full time and not for a degree or even a certificate. I teach community education. That means I teach people that pay their good money and spend their time to learn how to use the camera they got for Christmas 3 years ago. It’s for people that want to take better pictures of their kids playing baseball or get nice photos from their weekend hike in the hills. Their ages vary, from 16 to in their 80’s.

It’s awesome and I love it.

I get a lot of really great, and some very unusual questions, as you can imagine. One of my favorite is, “Who is you favorite photographer?” It’s a loaded question.

Here is my general list, not in any particular order:

Ansel Adams, the god of black and white landscape photography. People don’t know what a pioneer he was for the art and science of photography. He was one of the pioneers in helping the public see the photograph as art and not just a means of documenting news. He developed “The Zone System,” the technique of pre-visualizing black and white images, and the techniques of exposure, developing and printing to control the grey scales in the final image. Not an easy thing. There are books, and I mean several volumes, explaining the process.

Gregory Heisler, one of the great portrait photographers to have ever exposed a frame of film.

Mike Davenport

Irving Penn, a portrait, still life and fashion photographer, who’s work from the 40’s to the 70’s has had a major influence on what we do now.

Pete Turner, a genius of color and photo manipulation, back WAY before Photoshop.

I get some funny looks when I answer this question, some because my students only know the work of Adams, except maybe the 20 somethings, and the fact that my name is on the list.

Yes, I am one of my favorite photographers. There. I said it. Some ego, right?

Here’s the thing about that…I really like my work. I like what I am doing and I like the images that I am creating. Is it wrong? Well, not really. And here’s why.

If you, as an artist, in whatever your field of endeavor, and don’t like what you do and what you’re creating, you only have 2 choices. Get better at it or find another endeavor. It’s just that simple.

I do what I do for my clients. I am here to solve their visual problems. To tell sell their product or idea, I’m hereto tell their story. If I can’t do that, I need to find another job. But, as an artist, if I’m not happy with what I produce, again, I need to find another job.

If you aren’t your own favorite photographer, work to get to that point. If you don’t like the photos you create, practice more. Practice seeing like the camera / sensor sees. Practice composition. Learn light. After all, photography is all about light.

Be your own favorite. Of whatever you do, like what you do. Your an artist? Be your favorite artist, your favorite painter, musician, song writer, woodworker, sculptor. Or even a photographer.

It’s not ego. Really. It’s love of what you do, of what you create.

That said, NEVER be satisfied. When you get the best shot ever, write the best song ever, paint the best painting ever, quit. When you get to that point, there is not going forward, the challenge is done and the love of creating is lost.

I am one of my favorite photographers. But I’m quite sure I can do better.