I recently finished reading “Start” by Jon Acuff and wrote a quick mini review. However, I think there are some great lessons for Photographers from Start that are worth spelling out in this post.
Just before we get started, the summary of the book is it is about how you can pursue your deepest desires and live a life which isn’t just average but awesome. How you can go from wherever you are now to doing awesome stuff. This isn’t to say it is a “quit your job, pursue your dream” type book. It’s much more practical than that.
The stages of development
In the book, Jon talks about 5 stages of development.
- learning
- editing
- mastering
- harvesting
- guiding
In the learning stage you, learn. I know shock horror. But the good part here is Jon has some practical ideas to speed up that learning part. It’s also good to point out that he includes this and doesn’t say “go for it”, of course you can be an expert over night.
This is the stage I’m in and have been for a while. I’m trying to absorb as much as I can from many different sources. To take in ideas and move from noob to knowledgable.
Editing involves cutting out things you’ve picked up. For most photographers, this means picking a niche and really investing there. Maybe it’s wedding, headshot, fine art, or street photography. But You have a primary focus. It doesn’t mean you can’t do other things, but you will certainly spend more time on these than anything else.
Mastering is where you get good…I mean really good. It’s where you have to work hard and keep working. For a photography this is the time when you have to just “do the work”. Take gigs, shoot things, edit. But it’s also the time when you really shine.
Harvesting is a tricky time, it’s a time when you should reap the rewards but Jon mentions a couple of examples where people who should have been harvesting feel short and instead lost it all. Still, this is the time when you can really see the fruits of your labours.
Guiding is the stage a lot of people don’t enter, they get to harvesting and then give up. So they miss out on even greater rewards for the time and effort. Guiding can be a chance to achieve more than you can ever do on your own and really be awesome.
This path may seem obvious but sometimes the most obvious points are the best. The real value I found in Jon’s book was the pitfalls he mentioned at every stage so you can watch out for them and also the tips on how to make the most of each stage.
Going from no professional experience to some
One of the tips Jon offers in the Mastery stage was how you can go from nothing to professional. Many people try to make that jump in one go but that can be a negative experience and overwhelming (aka quit your job and become a photographer over night). Instead Jon offers a few ideas for stepping stones which will help you transition including
- volunteer
- take a part time job
- be led
Volunteering is a great way to gain experience (no that’s not working for exposure, it’s different and worth doing). It also helps someone out who really needs it. Some examples of this could be “help-portrait” or shooting a friends wedding/engagement shots for free.
Taking a part time job means that you get paid and learn from someone else. This can help you learn the business from the inside (not just peaking through the window), build connections and work out how you will do it. Maybe you’ll work in a studio, maybe you’ll be a second shooter at a wedding for someone.
If you find a mentor or someone to follow then you can learn from their experience. This can help you know the mistakes and challenges they faces and prepare for them properly.
Not getting attention can be a good thing
This is something I read in Show your work as well. When you are just starting out…it’s actually kind of good to go unnoticed. If you’ve been on the internet any length of time, you’ve probably faced a hater (heck maybe you’ve even been one). When you are starting out, that sucks a lot and can really put you off. Going slowly gets a bad rep in our society but If you care about the journey and not the destination, you’ll be fine.
Maybe you shouldn’t look to get paid for your photography
This is a controversial one but Jon points out that your “awesome” might be something which doesn’t involve you running your own business and getting paid for it. Maybe it involves you working for someone else and using that skill there. This could be the case for your photography. Amateurs are underrated. The word amateur comes from the french of love (a lover eh!) You like something so much that you love doing it. Even if you would never get paid to do it, you have to do it. It is part of you.
I’m sure many photographers can relate to that feeling of a deep love and passion for photography and when you speak with a professional I’m sure you’d hear some less then stealer stories about clients.
Maybe, for you, being awesome at photography won’t mean being paid. Maybe it means that for me too. Who knows, all I know is either way I’m going to be taking photos.
The process is more important than the destination
This was one of the points that Jon kept bringing up, it’s all about loving the process and the activity for itself and not about the fame, rewards or achievements. Sure they may come and that can feel great. But if that’s what you are after, when they don’t come, you’ll give up.
There’s a lot more that I took out of this book and I would recommend it for the amateur photographer who is just starting out or has a bit of experience under their belt.
Head over to Amazon UK or Amazon US to check it out (or any good bookshop).
Yuri says
great breakdown, thanks Chris!
Chris Wilson says
Thanks Yuri, It’s worth checking out for people on the start of their journey for sure. I’ve heard Jon’s other books are better.
Yuri says
great breakdown, thanks Chris!
Chris Wilson says
Thanks Yuri, It’s worth checking out for people on the start of their journey for sure. I’ve heard Jon’s other books are better.