Winter

WINTER is hard season to endure if you are a photographer.
My theory is that it’s all to do with a lack of light. The days are shorter, weather is poorer and it all amounts to less light.
Photographers love light. Without it, we can’t function, can’t see, can’t earn, can’t CREATE.
Wherever there is light, there’s a chance to make great pictures. We know that in our bones and it’s comforting.
So Winter naturally feels like a bit of a dark time for us. Chances are, what can go wrong, will go wrong during winter.
We see it as photography teachers. Class attendance takes a dive, assessment submissions slow down – our job becomes one-quarter photo teacher, one-quarter motivational speaker, and the other half of our job is being there to listen to aspiring photographers and try and help whenever we can.
We’re constantly amazed by the struggles many photographers go through just to simply make it to class. There’s so many things that can knock someone down – health, mental health, illness, sadness, family, raising kids, juggling jobs and finances – if you struggle to define what “fighting spirit” is, come to TAFE and spend some time with the photographers that come to our classes.
They’re fighters, alright.
The good news is, everything starts to change at this time of year. The days are getting longer, there’s more light – we can feel the season changing.
We see it as a photography teachers. Class attendance is improving, and the assessments are flying in.
I love September. It’s when photographers find that extra bit of strength that helps them rise above it and see better, shoot better, edit better, study better – just be better photographers.
Photographers, even if 2016 hasn’t been your year, September can be your month.
Those 30 days in September can set you up for life. Trust us, we see it happen every year.

(Thanks to WhatFunk for the music.)