Lack of bottle

D

duggiebee

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I love my photography and when I capture a shot I really like, I get a huge sense of self satisfaction but I always think that other people won't like what I do. The end result is that, for example, I have only ever posted any photos on this forum twice because, I suppose, of a lack of self confidence. This doesn't however stop me going out and taking photographs of events and things that interest me.

Two weeks ago, I went and took some photos at a football match between my company and a visiting team. A very senior boss at my company just happened to be present and obviously saw me taking the photos. I was using my 50D and a decent lens.

Last week, a Home Office minister attended my place of work. The PR guy who was going to cover the visit fell ill and as a result my very senior boss asked me to take photographs of the event. Long story short, I completely bottled it and explained that I was only a very amateur hobbyist so I declined. I could now kick myself.

Anyone else completely bottled it photographically, like a big girl's blouse?
 
d'oh........ whats the worst could have happened?

a) explain to the big boss and you are an amateur. sport is your medium blah blah.......(thinking blackadder, "ah but light is my medium...."... "Excelent we'll launch flares, you'll be lit up for miles around........"

b) if worst comes to the worst, you get a pile of poo......


Obviously a 300mm f2.8L will be crap for close ups... but hey , a decent camera (50D) and (your words) decent lens, implies to me, you may have something in the arsenal for portraits as well.........



Man up. Set expectations. Then, blow em away.....




By the way welcome to TP. :lol::lol::thumbs:
 
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There is nothing wrong in not wanting to take photos just because the boss asked. I notice he didn't offer to pay the same amount he would have paid the PR guy to you.

Realspeed
 
Here we go... money again.........

My theory on this chestnut, that crops up every now and again.....i.e. "my boss wants pics" is

a) if you work for someone in a clearly different field (for arguments sake, "Office Manager") and are therefore not a professional photographer (although your images may be as good as or better than Joe Bloggs togging inc - thats a different debate)

b) If you do it, as a "freebie" as in on more than likely on company time, so would you rather be togging (practising, experimenting) or doing your day job (assuming you are not a pro tog) then it may be favoured on accordingly when it comes to end of year appraisal / pay rise etc.......

c) if b fails, then next time, "no sorry, I have given it up now!)

d) if b works, there could be an off chance of well, "They were Ok , but it would have been better if I had x, y, or z, next time"........... who knows depending on boss.......
 
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When I first picked up my camera deciding to whore myself out for part time paid photography work rather than photo's for my own satisfaction it all seemed like a good idea until I got that first phone call as a referral from a 'mate'. At that point I papped myself and my stomach was turning cartwheels, but my brain was telling me equally that I am capable but also am I just kidding myself?

Regardless I turned up at the place and for the first time ever said... 'I'm your hired photographer'. Still remember that as clear as it was yesterday. Been going a year now as part time and every job has had it's different challenges whether known or discovered but you just get on with it. I like to try and say yes to every job and then work out how to approach it.

You need something, whether it be confidence, sheer pig headedness, will to succeed, whatever, to drive you to say yes to the next time you are asked to do some work.

Ask yourself what drives you?
 
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I've bottled it a couple of times, but funny thing is... only for friends! :lol: When it's for events and people I don't know prior to the shoot, I'm normally fine. Not that I don't have confidence in my photography, but I just can't face a friend if I balls it up on let's say, their wedding or something. I still shoot for them at their weddings and events though, but for free, with their hired pro, shooting too.

I have shot a couple of weddings for friends though in which later it turned out that my shots were better than the hired guys. Which kind of leaves me kicking myself a bit thinking, "That could have been money in my pocket". I normally shrug it off as a wedding gift to my friends so that's fine :thumbs:
 
duggiebee said:
I love my photography and when I capture a shot I really like, I get a huge sense of self satisfaction but I always think that other people won't like what I do. The end result is that, for example, I have only ever posted any photos on this forum twice because, I suppose, of a lack of self confidence. This doesn't however stop me going out and taking photographs of events and things that interest me.

Two weeks ago, I went and took some photos at a football match between my company and a visiting team. A very senior boss at my company just happened to be present and obviously saw me taking the photos. I was using my 50D and a decent lens.

Last week, a Home Office minister attended my place of work. The PR guy who was going to cover the visit fell ill and as a result my very senior boss asked me to take photographs of the event. Long story short, I completely bottled it and explained that I was only a very amateur hobbyist so I declined. I could now kick myself.

Anyone else completely bottled it photographically, like a big girl's blouse?
Click to expand...

Sounds like you need to get posting some pics on here to get confidence if they are good and help if they arent.Or if that is really too threatening, post them on Flickr and let me and some of the kind people on here, have your Flickr address. I'm just an ordinary amateur with basic equipment who makes lots of mistakes but I learn from them. You will learn from yours..
 
I find myself wishing I had these opportunities to begin with! :D


I fully understand though - I'm thinking there's a reasonable chance nerves would get the better of me, and if it's your boss I think it'd make it worse!

But FWIW - I just looked at your threads and your pics look great to me, I find it helps to look at the websites/galleries of professionals local to you - the quality of a lot of the TP people is a lot higher and can seem to put the bar very high at times! I've seen a damn sight worse shots in the local paper though!
 
I think part of the problem for me on this occasion was that all my interest lies outside. I have been to a few air shows and I really enjoy my sports photography.
I think I was thrown by having less than 24 hours notice and perhaps more importantly, by having to cover an event in an office environment with all the problems concerning shooting indoors in various locations with varying lighting.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but on reflection I think I should have done it. B*gger!
 
yep done the same sort of thing, i see myself as a hobbyist but was asked by someone at work to do some photo's for a new charity thing we are doing ( i work for quite a large departement store company) someone has suggested that i would be the best candidate. Ermmmmm really?

They gave me a camera that i wasn't used to, didn't know what a lot of the features were for. So i took a few pics and i'll be honest, they were awful! Took them home to process them, and never actually gave them to the organiser, they ended up doing the shoot again and i felt like a proper knob for not trying harder.

Could have led onto better things

:bang:
 
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