Ever since I took up photography in December of 2020, with my first serious camera, and honestly my first photographs (except for a very rare snapshot here and there, over the years) I have thought of myself in a variety of ways. I am an amateur; I like this word because of its etymology.  I am an enthusiast:  a popular term now that people seem to like more than amateur. I am not a professional:  I do not take photographs to earn money (at least not much).  Being retired gives me the luxury of this hobby, rather than this ‘side gig’, but sometimes I still struggle with the feeling of being an ‘imposter.’

I take photography lessons.  I read books and watch youtube. I practice. I learn things and enjoy learning it.  But then good professional photographers are always learning.  I suspect part of my sense of not being a real photographer is that I don’t work hard enough.  Professional wedding photographers (like my teacher David Paul https://www.davidpaulphotography.com/) work really hard.  Not only do they spend long days on their feet taking photos, they spend long days sitting editing them and working on the business side of the photography.  I like offering my services to people and causes I support but I don’t work at it nearly that hard. 

And my photography needs improvement. Despite people’s generosity when they see my pictures, I know they are full of flaws. I don’t mind because it gives me something to work on.  I know by putting this site up I’m opening myself up to criticism about composition, or sharpness, or whatever but that is indeed part of the learning process I suppose (don’t get me wrong:  I like praise a lot better.)

The biggest part of the ‘syndrome’ is how surprised I am when the pictures come out well. Sometimes I look at one that was successful and think “I can’t believe I took that.”  Perhaps I’ll get over it eventually.