Don’t Act like Everyone Else!

不要表现得像其他人一样！

Every time I start a photography workshop, I say this to my students: “Friends, nowadays, the Internet and social media can turn an unknown amateur into a super-popular and world-famous photographer. But there’s one problem: it’s a dream for EVERYONE!”

“If I have any 'message' worth giving to a beginner it is that there are no short cuts…”, Edward Weston.

I believe this is exactly the reason why the best thing you can do to grow and gain popularity is to learn to be different, to take photos that will be recognizable without any references and captions. These photos have to stand out for the combination of your unique style and material presentation.

Yes, I know this may sound difficult. So true!

But you always have a choice:

• Act like everyone else and be an ordinary photographer. This is a way to depreciate your art. This is a monotonous routine that doesn’t outline huge opportunities in the near future. In this, of course, you can’t count on a rich artistic life and large income;
• Try to make every photo different from what other photographers do; to regularly search for your own self - your vision, style and presentation. If you learn to do things differently, your photos will be better, more interesting, more stylish, more emotional than 95% of photographers have to offer. This will provide unlimited opportunities for growth and development both in terms of art, and in terms of money.

Before you plan a new photoshoot, ask yourself what will make it different from other photos with the same plot. What will make viewers WOW while browsing the photos?

For instance, if you plan to film the model on the seashore, think about how to make these photos unique and extraordinary, to make them convey the mood, emotions and plot. These photos have to compare favorably with other photoshoots made in the same location. And this should happen every time.

You can make your artistic nature work instead of following the beaten track. This will be the start of a long artistic journey...