A word to the wise

With huge apologies to Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich who wrote the 1997 column later made famous by Baz Luhrmann.

If I were to address the graduating class from a photojournalism school here in Canada, it might go like this:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, autofocus would be it. The benefits of autofocus have been proven by photographers, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

Enjoy the technology and power of your current camera model. There’s no need to always upgrade to the latest gear. Oh, never mind. You won’t fully appreciate the capabilities of your camera until it’s long obsolete. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at your photos from today and recall in a way you can’t grasp now, how much possibility lay in your hands and how amazing that camera really was.

You are not as poor as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to edit images by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, like a loud clicking noise from your hard drive just before it crashes on some idle Tuesday afternoon.

Do one thing each day that scares you.

Reformat.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s gear, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Back-up your files.

Don’t waste too much time chimping. Sometimes you get the picture, sometimes you don’t. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Appreciate the cheques you receive on time and forget the deadbeat clients. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old negatives and remember to keep your bank statements in case you get audited.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t have a staff job. The most interesting people I know didn’t have a staff job at 21. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds still don’t have staff jobs (or bank accounts).

Carry plenty of spare batteries.

Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll get a staff job, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll win awards, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll get laid off and be forced to freelance at 50 or maybe you’ll retire from your staff job with a gold watch. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either. Your choices are half-chance. So are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your camera, use it everytime you can. Don’t be afraid of using it, or what other people think of your pictures. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Learn proper business practices, even if you have nowhere to do it but at the local public library.

Read the instruction manual, even if you don’t follow it.

Do not read pop photo magazines. They will only make you equipment-hungry.

Get to know your colleagues. You never know when they’ll be laid off.

Be nice to other photographers. They are the best link to your career and the people most likely to loan you equipment and give you referrals.

Understand that photo editors come and go, but for the precious few you should work for. Work hard to bridge the gap in publishers and geography, because the older you get, the more you need the people who appreciate your talents and might hire you.

Live in Toronto once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Vancouver once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: your computer will become obsolete, your lenses will wear out, you too will get old. And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young, camera prices were reasonable, newspapers were noble and readers respected your photography.

Respect your readers.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you’ll have a foundation grant, maybe you’ll have a rich spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with Photoshop, or by the time you’re done, your credibility will be gone.

Be careful with who reviews your portfolio, but be patient with those who do. Portfolio reviews are a way of seeing your pictures through the eyes of experience. Reviewing portfolios is a way for an experienced photographer to revisit their own past and gives them the chance to apply their history to your future.

But trust me on the autofocus.