Continuing Education in Photography: A Luxury or Necessity?

by Robert Provencher

Before I answer, let me ask you this. Would you go to a surgeon who hasn't had any form of continuing education since he graduated in 1958? What about a pilot?

No way. Of course, our profession isn't nearly as dangerous as performing surgery or flying a plane, but it's sometimes just as important. Our customers value our work. No, strike that. They cherish our work, and your next bride doesn't want her images to look like they were taken in 1981.

Listen, continuing education is a necessity, especially for photographers. It is essential. There are no options, unless you want your brain to calcify and your work to become stagnant.

If you take your continuing education lightly, you run the risk of turning into a rusted out, decrepit, sorry excuse for a has-been. After attending a variety of business seminars and motivational talks, I went to my very first photographic workshop in 1986.

That's when I saw the light, and I've never looked back. I know I've spent thousands of dollars on workshops, conventions, and seminars since then, but it has all been worth it.

Even when the material is recycled, I still look for nuggets of knowledge, new techniques, and new marketing ideas. Sometimes, all I need is the simple motivation that I draw from attending a workshop or seminar. I firmly believe that we should learn as many new things as possible. They will all help our business and our photography.

On top of the endless hours at conventions studying the craft of photography, I've taken up a potpourri of activities that I liked personally. I've been in a blues band, sang every song, played harmonica and rhythm guitar. I'm scuba certified. I've taken Spanish lessons and attended university and leadership courses. I joined Toastmasters and attended many, many business workshops.

Most had little to do with photography, but all were part of the big picture. We spend so much on the outside of our bodies (hair, make-up, clothes), but so little on where it really matters -- inside. Your mind is your greatest asset.

Don't let your ego get in the way of learning. Our egos can be our biggest enemy, but the ego only bases its judgment on what it already knows, not the unknown. When you try to introduce new ideas and thoughts, its natural tendency is to reject them.

How many times do we find ourselves thinking, "I already know this stuff, why on earth do I need to listen to it again?" It's in suppressing the ego and opening our minds that we learn the most. Learn all the time, wherever and whenever possible. Take it all in -- everything. Be open. Be a student of life, and a teacher. Here's a big secret. Whenever I teach, I learn. Go figure. People pay me to teach, but I sometimes end up learning more than they learn. Try it. It's a win/win.

The process is often more important than the subject. The learning process keeps our brains active and our minds fresh. It doesn't particularly matter what you're learning as long as you learn. An active brain is more capable than an inactive brain. The "but" trap is real. "But" kills learning. "But" lets us feel good about learning without actually having to learn anything.

I would go to that seminar, but I don't have the money. I would love to learn more about Photoshop, but I don't have the time. To learn, you have to avoid the "but" trap. Avoid saying the word 'but', because every great hope or desire is instantly negated when you add that word. I would do?..., BUT??......"I'd wish to get better at XYZ, 'but'..." Excuses.

Fear is the fuel that drives this offensive word. If you can't get out to workshops and seminars, no problem! Buy DVD's and audios. The dangerous downloads (Inner Circle Forum) is crammed with videos and audios.

Hey, the monthly interview alone is worth the price of admission. I listen to audios all the time. In my car, I have a non-stop series of whatever-I'm-into-at-the-moment audio CD's playing. It's my university on wheels. I love it! Some programs I've listened to over fifteen times. Try it. It really works.

I have manuals, downloads, and books. I'm always feeding the mind. When I buy a DVD collection I make time to make sure I watch all of them, even if it means turning off those two back-to-back reruns of Seinfeld to watch for an hour each night. Ultimately, it's our responsibility to continue the learning process.

We need to learn all the time. Unfortunately, we rely on what is traditionally the most unreliable source: ourselves. Take it all in, everything. Be open. Be a student of life. And a teacher.

Sir Isaac Newton said it best with his "Laws of Inertia

Here they are, and I've taken the liberty of translating them for you:

Sir Isaac Newton LAWS OF INERTIA

Law #1: "Every body remains at rest or moves with constant velocity in a straight line, unless it is compelled to change that state by a force acting upon it.:

My translation: If you're a couch potato, you're inclined to stay a couch potato, unless something moves you to stop being a couch potato.

Law #2: :The acceleration of an object is proportional to the force acting upon it."

My translation: Once you start taking action towards not being a couch potato, the amount of work you put into it will be directly reflected in your success.

Law #3: The action of a force exerted by one body on a second body produces a reaction that is equal and opposite in direction to the action.

My translation: When you try to move up from the couch, the amount of resistance you will meet with will be equal to the amount of work you put into it.

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