Shoot First, Think Later.

Anti portfolio-focus in photography?

Don’t seek to make new photos to add to your portfolio. Instead, treat photography like play. Just keep shooting photos, in the spirit of fun, experimentation and play!

Why shooting on a phone is so fun

We all want to make strong photographs. Yet, this is the problem:

You cannot determine whether your photograph is strong or not until after you shoot it. 

It is very rare you make a great photograph. Even rarer that you can make a photograph so strong that you can add it to your portfolio. 

This is a problem:

When we go out and shoot photos, we shoot to make that new portfolio worthy photograph. 

What often happens is that we end up becoming disappointed too easily, because once again, the chance of you making a good photograph happens very rarely. Maybe once a month. 

But can you predict when you’re going to get that 1 good photograph a month? Of course not! We must shoot in order to find out!

Thus this is my simple idea:

Shoot first, and figure out what to do with your photographs later. 

This will keep you motivated to keep shooting! Because the point of photography and art is to keep making art until you die.

There is no “final destination” in your photography or art. You’re constantly in a state of becoming.

Thus, don’t worry about your portfolio so much, and also don’t worry so much whether you’re making “good” photos or not.

Just keep shooting, have fun, and figure out what to do with your photos later.

Shoot on!

ERIC