Professional photographer Kav Dadfar talks about the common fears of photographers in his article over at Digital Photography School.
Personally, even after all these years I’m still a little bit intimidated by people. I don’t mean the ones that have booked a photoshoot – I know they want their pictures taken. But I could never become a street photographer. See what I just did there? I set myself a limit that’s going to stop me from doing something I’d really like to learn. So instead of “never” I think I’ll just go out and practice.
Fear of people
Most newbies wouldn’t have any hesitation taking a photograph of a statue or famous landmark, yet as soon as photography involves anything to do with people, fear grips them. This is usually a combination of shyness, and a fear that it will result in a confrontation with the person who they are photographing, or the owner of the place.
The reality is that most people are incredibly happy and willing to have their photo taken, and won’t get offended if you spend the time to talk with them, and ask permission to take a portrait. At other times when you have fleeting moments, the person you are photographing probably won’t even notice that you are taking a picture. The only way to overcome this fear is to go out and practice, not only the actual process of photography, but also approaching people to take their photo. You’ll be amazed at how many people are willing to have their portrait taken!
Fear of being rejected
It’s no surprise that an industry which is so subjective, can be daunting for new photographers. It doesn’t matter how tough you are, if you’ve worked hard to put a portfolio together only for it to get rejected by picture editors, it can be hard to live with. After a few rejections, this can knock your confidence for approaching potential clients, and for actually going out to take photos. You might think what is the point if you keep getting rejected?
Very early on in my career I approached a stock agency to represent my work. They turned me down, so I approached a bigger and more exclusive agency and they accepted my work. A few years later the same agency that had rejected me approached me to photograph for them.
Fear of losing or damaging your gear
While it’s obviously important to ensure you keep your equipment safe and in good working condition, it should not be to the detriment of actually taking a photo. What’s the point of having an expensive camera if it always stays in your hotel room, or backpack, because of a fear of it being stolen or getting dirty? The higher end DSLRs these days are pretty sturdy and can withstand more than you think.
To overcome this fear, the first thing you need to do is to get yourself decent insurance to cover all of your equipment. That way you always know if something were to happen, you can get a replacement. The next thing you need to do is be prepared for the environment in which you will be photographing. This requires research, and thought about how to avoid potential problems.
Read the full article over at Digital Photography School.
Source: Digital Photography School
