At the end of October, 7 incredibly talented pro photographers and 1 equally talented videographer will meet in Fiji and spend three days teaching a group of people the tricks of their trades at the F Stop Lounge Fiji Photography Workshop.
I’ll be there, talking to instructors and participants alike and sharing some of the more inspirational and useful tidbits we’re all learning, but why wait two months to start sharing wisdom!?
Last week I reached out to all 8 pros—Elia Locardi, Benjamin Von Wong, Colby Brown, Michael Fletcher, Tony Hewitt, Nick Rains, Varina Patel, and Jay Patel—and asked them to share the best piece of advice they were ever given. Here is what they told me.
Elia Locardi
The best photographer out there is the one having the most fun. Follow your own creativity and creative vision, your own passion and desire to create. As long as you love what you’re doing, everything else will come with time.
Oh! Also, “drink coffee, repeat as necessary…” ?
Benjamin Von Wong
Chase Jarvis told me that I needed to find out what I could do better than anyone else, and that when I did, I’d never have to worry about getting work. The answer I came up with? At being myself.
I actually talk about that here.
Colby Brown
The best advice that I was ever given was to find passion in everything that you do, be it when you are out in the field with your camera in hand or in the office sending emails and setting up business meetings.
Passion breads inspiration and there is nothing more powerful than inspiring others, regardless if you are building your own brand, selling a product or simply sharing your view of the world with someone else.
Michael Fletcher
The best advice I ever received was to give up taking still photographs and switch to shooting moving images.
That advice came from my twin brother Christian who constantly reminded me of whose name was on the front of our business. I don’t think he ever felt threatened by me taking photographs, but this way he has his creative outlet all to himself and I have mine—for anyone who is a twin will know that we all yearn for our own individuality.
Moving to video has given me an opportunity that taking still photographs was never going to give me. My advice to other photographers struggling to find their niche in the world of photography, why not give video a go. Three days in Fiji and you might just be convinced.
Tony Hewitt
I was once told to ‘Always stick to the Plan!’ When you have a shoot planned and the weather looks bad, don’t cancel, go any way as you never know what you might miss!
Nick Rains
Wayyyy back when, shooting for stock (on film) I was told by a photo library owner to learn when not to shoot. Just because I was on the clock, as it were, did not mean I had to shoot all the time when I was away on long trips.
Shoot only when the light is good—in other words, go for quality over quantity every time. This has never been truer now that photos that used to cost me about $1 per frame now cost effectively nothing.
Varina Patel
Each of us falls in love with photography for our own reasons. For me, it’s the challenge of creating a photo that pulls my audience into my own mind for a moment. I go into the field in search of the “essence” of the location. Sometimes that’s a certain subject, but it’s often something less tangible… a feeling, or an emotional response. Capturing that is so much more than just releasing the shutter.
I love the challenge of communicating with my audience without words. Is it possible to share the feeling of awakening on a warm spring morning—without words? Can I share the intensity of a summer rainstorm, or the bright silence of a fresh snowfall? Can I give you a sense of what I was feeling when I was out there taking the shot?
My advice is simple… Don’t just take a photo. Reach out to your viewer and touch them with your art.
Jay Patel
Remember why you took up photography in the first place. It was NOT about comments, likes, ratings, +1s, or a popularity contest on 500px ? … It was for love of photography. So photograph what you love, ignore the critiques, embrace the failures, and live to enjoy the experience.
Of course, I understand that not everybody has the money to spend on getting to Fiji and attending a workshop like this, so I’ll be doing my best to share these tidbits of wisdom and useful tips and tricks along the way.
However, if you CAN join us and want to learn from all these amazing photographers in person, I’ve got some fantastic news for you. 500px ISO readers are being offered an insane discount.
Just type in the code 500PX-FIJI at checkout and the price of the workshop will drop from $1400 USD to only $999! That’s almost a full third off the workshop, and we’re so excited to be offering this steep discount to our dedicated readers!
To learn more about the workshop or if you’d like to sign up, click here. And don’t forget to enter that code!