Those 10 things I knew, or wished I knew, before becoming a professional photographer

Last month I taught two workshops, Creativity and Travel Photography, for the Santa Fe Workshops. I love teaching (and working as a Mentor also), although I don’t have time to teach more than two or three a year. I had two remarkable groups and they inspired me as much as, I hope, I inspired them. You can see their final shows here and here (week 2).

At the end of the first week one of the members of the class handed me a piece of paper with two questions and asked if I would answer them. They were brilliant, although I remember fumbling through the answers. However yesterday, just hours before I was leaving for a flight to Sri Lanka, I found the paper on my desk. Since the luggage was loaded in my car; I decided to think about my answers a bit more coherently. I got most of the way through them, then it was off to the airport. Now I’m on the 15 hour flight from LA to Bangkok, (then to Colombo) and am finishing the post.

What are 10 Things you are glad that you knew when you decided to become a professional travel photographer? So, in no particular order, here they are:

1. Because of my experience as a river guide, rock climber and Outward Bound instructor I learned the difference between perceived risk and actual risk. A very valuable distinction to have when one is traveling in foreign countries.
2. Also because of my previous experience as a guide and instructor, I knew not to projection my thoughts, feelings, or interpretations on anyone else. I learned that there is no way to really know what someone is thinking, unless you ask or give them space to answer, verbally or non-verbally. Presume nothing; expect everything.
3. I knew that I had some great traits for a traveler: I can handle alcohol; I can sleep anywhere; I have an “iron stomach”; I have a bad sense of smell; and I remain very calm in times of stress or uncertainty. All very useful for the solo traveler
4. It was very clear that I was “born to roam”. I didn’t care about getting married and having a family; I just wanted to travel. And, I was passionate about photography.
5. I knew that there is no such thing as luck. Luck is everywhere; it is just a matter of taking advantage of it.
6. I am glad that I had brilliant teachers who taught me to think creativity and write coherently. I am also glad I learned how to type.
7. I am glad I began photographing with black and white film and taught myself the fundamentals of working in a darkroom.
8. I am also glad I used fixed focal length lenses and was forced to move to fill a frame.
9. Although I was not a painter, I admired and studied artists from historic to contemporary. I understood the power of color, and why the color wheel was important in art.
10. I knew that it was never going to be an easy field in which to make a living. And, that it was best to keep my overhead very low.

What are 10 Things you wish you had known when you decided to become a professional travel photographer? Again, in no particular order, but notice that most have to do with business:

1. That photography is 80% about business, not photography. I really should have hung out with MBA students and not river guides and rock climbers (for potential boyfriends).
2. Just about everything that had to do with photography since I am self-taught—which means that the teacher knew very little.
3. It took me awhile to figure out that it was useless to try and photograph what I saw, since slide film can only render about four stops of contrast range, while my eyes could see about 16 stops. Really, I was just using reality to express my perception of it.
4. That there is a difference between marketing and business and you have to be great at both.
5. That many clients do not understand that photographers need to make a decent living also (especially non-profit organizations) and are always asking for free images. And, that it was never a good idea to give into these requests without some kind of compensation.
6. That one should buy a house young to build up credit and equity. Invest in yourself but also in other ways.
7. Those credit cards are essential, but evil.
8. That I should never have carried such heavy cameras bags or pack packs.
9. That computers would eventually rule my life (well, maybe it good that I didn’t know that actually)
10. That no matter how recognized I would become in photography, the phone would never ring on its own. I would have to hustle and reinvent myself all the time.

And now you ask…

What would I like to know now? How to clone myself since I have to keep hustling!

Outer India Opening at the Verve Gallery of Photography, Santa Fe, NM

Friday, July 9th was the premier of my new show OUTER INDIA. Twenty-eight images from a work-in-progress on the lesser-known tribal regions of India is at the  Verve Gallery of Photography in  Santa Fe, NM July 9 – August 29th, 2010. Over 400 people attended the opening!!  And some of my wonderful friends came from out of town. I am so thrilled. Excelsior!

Singh-Ray filters… the best.. and I only need three

Check out this post I wrote for the Singh-Ray blog!

http://singhray.blogspot.com/2010/06/on-narrowest-trails-in-most-faraway.html

“Traveling the back roads and narrow trails of Asia, Africa and South America for hours at a time to reach the world’s most remote tribal areas and cultures gives National Geographic photographerNevada Wier plenty of time to think about the gear she takes with her… what stuff is important and what might not be. “Believe me, my filters are important. In particular three kinds of Singh-Ray filters go with me everywhere. There’s a Hi-Lux filter on each of my lenses, and I also carry a 77mm LB Warming Polarizer and a 77mm Vari-ND filter. Each one of these filters is essential and fits neatly in my camera bag that I have to carry around all day.

“I keep a Hi-Lux UV filter on each lens because I want the best possible glass between my lens and the world. I photograph in extreme elemental conditions — rain, snow, fog, hot days, cold nights… you name it. I’ve learned the importance of protecting my valuable lenses. However, I do not want a filter that degrades my image quality so I always go with the Hi-Lux.

To read the rest go to … http://singhray.blogspot.com/2010/06/on-narrowest-trails-in-most-faraway.html

Enjoy!

Summer Lightroom 3 Workshops…at a city near you!

Lightroom 3 is finally out! I am proud to be one of the four experts for Lightroom Workshops 2-day Intensive Workshops that are being offered nation-wide — perhaps in your hometown (or nearby).

Adobe Lightroom allows users to download, organize, manage, develop, and present digital photography using their own laptops. It is considered essential for today’s digital photography workflow.

Lightroom Workshops are led by Jerry Courvoisier, digital maven extraordinaire; George Jardine, one of the original Adobe Lightroom team members; Michael Clark, internationally published extreme sports and outdoor photographer; and Nevada Wier, award-winning photographer specializing in documenting the remote corners and cultures of the globe.

You can see a full list of the cities at www.lightroomworkshops.com (see the jump for a Summer Special)

I will be teaching the weekend workshops (more may be added):

Aug. 7 – 8         Santa Barbara, CA

Sept 18 – 19     Boulder, CO

Founder Jerry Courvoisier, “My colleagues and I offer the best value and most information in this field: a serious 2-day hands-on workshop for just $395. Our workshops offer an experiential, personalized, interactive approach to learning. Participants bring their laptops with the current version of Lightroom 3 installed and we dig in straight away with practical applications for the software and workflow time-saving tips. We like to say, ‘You’ll learn by doing, then walk away knowing.’ This approach is essential to personalizing your own digital workflow.”

© nevada wier         India. Northeast. Nagaland.

National Geographic Seminar CREATIVITY WITH LIGHT in Seattle, WA May 16

I will presenting a seminar CREATIVITY WITH LIGHT with Dan Westergren (Editor of National Geographic Traveler magazine) on May 16th in Seattle, Washington. If you live in the area I hope you can come!

Creativity With Light

Have you ever anticipated getting to a beautiful location you want to photograph only to arrive and find yourself thinking, “The light’s not right, now what?”  Whether it’s a once in a lifetime vacation to a remote location or an important magazine assignment, you know you have to get the picture.  Join National Geographic Traveler senior photo editor Dan Westergren and world-renowned travel photographer, Nevada Wier as they demonstrate how to find great light and what to do when it’s “not quite right”.

Nevada is On the Road… again

Sorry for the lack of recent posts. I was only home for a couple of weeks after Thailand, and now I’m off to eastern Bhutan, exiting in N. E. India and staying there for a couple for weeks. Off the grid! No email! Ain’t it swell. I will mourn the day I’m 99.9% connected. I’m back to Internet Land April 13th. So don’t stay tuned, go outside!

Here’s a recent photo. It was shot with my 5D infrared camera (see earlier post for how to convert you old camera that is now only good for a doorstop)

Happy Trails!

© nevada wier        Chattisgarh , India

Tidbit Musings: Santa Fe

I’m back from my travels in Northern Thailand (more on that later). My re-entry day involves A Day of Autism … which might mean going for a long walk, but usually means just watching TV or going to the movies. Today I watched the Olympics and reveled in what it means to be a virtuoso of the body and senses (a distant cousin to being a travel photographer).

I decided to take a break from the exhausting physical exertion of the Olympics to watch The Hurt Locker.

The first words on screen are “War is a Drug“.

I gasped; stopped the movie and thought about this. I was dangerously close to becoming a current event photographer. But I was scared. No, not of combat or unknown harsh humanity; but of the potential addiction to feeling “acutely aware on the razor edge of death”. I was a climber, kayaker, and mountaineer…so this was an obvious allure–a kind of photographic Olympics to the next deadly level. I pulled back from the allure of those intense endorphins. Yet, the thought still makes me gasp.

So it begs the question: Are photojournalist/war photographers in two categories? Ones who want to make a difference (but do they have the skills to survive)? Or, ones who thrive on risk yet have the skills to survive brutal adversity (but still need the empathy?). Or, as I believe, the best possess it all, and then they must also be maestros of photography.

Downhill skiing seems much simpler at this moment.

Back to the The Hurt Locker.. and it is only a movie… but it brings up very real feelings.

Back on the Road

Sawasdee kaa

My last post was about how I unpacked my gear. Well, I’ve packed it all up again and am now in Bangkok on my way to Northern Thailand to photograph a few of the hill tribe New Year celebrations. You can refer back to older posts about how I pack my gear (and in a future post I’ll post some more photos about how I pack my camera bag, but I just can’t at the moment as I’m about ready to get on a flight to Chiang Mai.).

So what is the most important photo item that I packed besides my camera and CF cards (duh!). Drum roll — Advil! For all the gear I carry.

Aside from that, here is a short list of favorites:

Favorite camera: Canon 5D MarkII (my 1Ds Mark III is my backup)

Favorite lens: 16-35mm f/2.8 (2nd choice 24-70 f/2.8)

Favorite CF card: 16GB Sandisk Extreme IV

Favorite camera bag: Lowepro Orion AW (but I’m also taking a belt with lens pouches to go light)

Favorite new compact camera: Canon S90

Favorite flash accessory: LumiQuest FX

Favorite beer: Singha (okay, I have to edit this and be honest… Singha in Thailand but Negro Modelo in the Universe)

And here is a favorite IR image from a recent assignment in Orissa, India

© nevada wier   Orissa, India

Cheers to 2010!

May our photographic days be full of light, reflection, and creativity! And, travel… many, many fine days of exploration and adventure! Cheers to a new year!

© nevada wier 2009     Orissa, India

Tidbit Musing Dateline: Yangon Nov 3, 2009

I’m in Yangon and, shock of all shocks, I have wireless at the Trader’s Hotel. I’ve been traveling here since 1986 … this is first. I don’t know why… but it means that I can tell you this tale:

I’m at lovely Shwedagon Pagoda, as the full moon begins the wane, I’m staring through star candle lanterns at the spire, photographing and reveling in the joy of  the moment, and I hear a voice, “you aren’t just looking at the light, you are absorbing it”. I turn and there is a young Burmese monk with a friend, of gentle demeanor, yet sharp eyes. I say “Yes, it is tasty!”. And we proceed to converse. “Where are you from?”, they ask. “USA. New Mexico”, I reply. “Ah, yes … Land of Enchantment”, says the rakish friend with a baseball cap. “How did you know that!”, I exclaim. He says dryly, “It is on your license plate.” “Well, I know that, but how do you?” “I read it in a book.” And, we continue to have a wonderful conversation ending with me saying thank you in Burmese and he said “Da Nada”.  I love to travel!