The Value of Twitter for Photographers

Do you Twitter?

I confess that I really enjoy social media. I enjoy blogging, keeping up to date with Facebook, and Twittering. Admittedly, I am probably slowest to realize the true value of Twitter but I am getting there!

Just today I connected to these great stories entirely thanks to Twitter:

http://www.moosepeterson.com/blog/2011/06/24/magical-ingredient/

http://goingpro2010.com/2011/06/24/step-by-step-building-your-portfolio/

The first link above is a must read article. Read it and I am sure you will see why. The second link has some very good tips for building your photography portfolio.

I also had the opportunity to hear some news, gather some photo tips, and make a few more photo friends all thanks to Twitter!

Twitter can be confusing or even pointless to some people. After all, how much can you actually communicate in 140 characters? Quite a lot, actually! You can share photo tips, links to interesting photo articles, mention favorite blog posts, share tweets you like, and so much more!

Today I was blessed to see my photography colleague, Willard Hill, post a blog entry discussing an equipment issue I brought up in my photo book. The issue was whether fast lenses are necessary for wildlife photography. I obviously enjoyed Willard’s blog entry and his discussion about fast lenses. So, I Tweeted sharing Willard’s blog with everyone who follows me on Twitter. How can you not like that?

Twitter is sometimes chided by those who only think it is used for people to share the tiny, mundane, and boring events of their daily life with others. I believe Twitter has much to offer. You can choose who you follow, so pick the people whose Tweets most interest you. Follow someone for a while. If you don’t enjoy their Tweets, just unfollow them. Twitter is awesome, in my humble opinion.

My Twitter handle is BobShankPhoto. You can follow me but you won’t hear what I had for breakfast. Rather, you will be connected to other interesting photo blogs, hear great photo tips, and see other photographers I enjoy following. Give it a try!

Twitter is fun and valuable for photographers!

Motivation in Photography

What is your motivation in photography?

In other words, what keeps you excited about photography and what drives you to keep reaching for your camera? Think about it. There are any number of things you could do in a day and perhaps just as many “should-do” items in your daily routine. So what is it that keeps you photographing subjects day after day?

Motivation is that inner drive that keeps you behind the viewfinder time after time. It is that driving force that never says die and certainly never says quit. Perhaps it is no different from what keeps athletes practicing and working out. Maybe it is similar to great musicians who not only rehearse over and over, but actually appear to enjoy the rehearsing!

How do you describe or explain this motivation? What words can you use to describe it as clearly as possible?

I am honestly curious about this because sometimes I lose my focus and get distracted by things other than photography. These distractions recently kept me from blogging on a regular basis as I had done previously, but they did not prevent me from keeping my camera busy. In fact, I’ve been as busy as ever with my photography! After all I do love my time spent in photographic endeavors.

Maybe it’s the drive of capturing that priceless, once-in-a-lifetime shot. Or maybe it’s the challenge of capturing the exciting action and freezing the motion for all to see. Perhaps it is simply an inner feeling that keeps encouraging you to keep shooting.

I know, for me, a whole lot of motivation comes from fellow photographers. I hear about their photo opportunities and hear how they excited about a photo trip or some cool subject they photographed recently. These collegial relationships and friendships are certainly great motivation for me!

In this vein, I thank Willard Hill who recently contacted me to say that he missed my blogging. That was more than enough to motivate me off my lazy backside and re-enter the wonderful world of photo blogging. Thank you very much, Willard!

Where do you find your motivation in photography?