Alex Soth: Advice for young photographers

Alec Soth over on the Magnum Photos Blog compiled some great advice for young photographers that he solicited from 35 photographers. Perhaps not the most important, but it is certainly up there, is the title of the post: Wear Good Shoes.

This was his reply, in part, from Chris Steele-Perkins, also on Magnum.

What advice would you give young photographers?
1) Never think photography is easy. It's like poetry in that it's easy enough to make a few rhymes, but that's not a good poem.
2) Study photography, see what people have achieved, but learn from it, don't try photographically to be one of those people
3) Photograph things you really care about, things that really interest you, not things you feel you ought to do.
4) Photograph them in the way you feel is right, not they way you think you ought to
5) Be open to criticism, it can be really helpful, but stick to you core values
6) Study and theory is useful but you learn most by doing. Take photographs, lots of them, be depressed by them, take more, hone your skills and get out there in the world and interact.

Mike

Mike Wood Photography