Are you doing this for “success” or because you love it? Because if it’s for success, you’re going to be miserable. If it’s because you love it, none of that other shit matters.
There is always — always! — someone better. That’s no reason at all to stop something you enjoy.
Some not mentioned or not repeated:
I look especially for people who aren’t the same straight white American/Canadian/UK guys. Obviously there are a lot on my list who are exactly that and that’s great, they’re great, but the further away from that overwhelming group I go, the more interesting things get.
I also get a LOT out of channels that discuss films and filmography — as in movies — and other design/culture stuff.
I love and pay for Flickr. It’s being revitalized too- more people are using it again. Great way to meet fellow enthusiasts and they let you upload full size and zoom in.
Yes. But it’s also the other stuff, which leads to empty life and a grand sense of superiority and entitlement coupled with terrible manners.
Oh yes I’m racist against white people. That’s TOTALLY a thing that exists.
It’s because they’re full of older-middle-aged to elderly white men with little other outlet (bc they are jerks) who are focused on their camera brand as an identity.
I’ve never experienced this in person, because those types either don’t show up to things in person, or they’re too cowardly to act that way in person. Even when I was a 14yo girl hanging out at the camera store, all the dudes were at least polite to me, most of them very friendly and supportive.
Non-brand-specific forums for more niche interests like manual focus lenses, film development, medium format and large format, etc are also more polite and friendly, collaborative. Even the very old-school forums like mflenses and getdpi.
I agree Reddit’s better because it’s more casual but also because the audience is younger. Not that young people (esp men) can’t be enormous jerks about their special interest — live voice online gaming? never! — but they often have other things to do.
Nobody owes anyone the information on their process for free.
You don’t want to pay? That’s fine. You aren’t entitled to that information. Period.
Calling a photographer “that chick” is just another reason why your opinion doesn’t count.
Expecting everyone to teach you for free, and a answer your personal questions, isn’t modern greed? Interesting.
You’re not entitled to that information. They want to sell it, you don’t want to buy it, that’s life, and commerce. People do Patreon to make a living, not to be mean to you specifically. Being butthurt about it is weird.
Oh, and I shoot with a Nikon 1 J5 camera and the Nikon 1 70-300mm lens with optical stabilizer. The whole package weighs about 2lbs and goes up to 810mm equivalent. I have a joint problem, that extends to my hands… I can’t heft huge lenses.
This camera package cost about $1k total and the lens is insanely good.
Here’s a shot I took at 810mm equivalent.
In combination with a tripod, he should get a shutter release cable. Much easier to press. I actually press mine twice by accident, it’s so delicate… but that’s fine. More shots is better.
Forget all the people saying you can’t charge anything — lots of teens do work for money. You can’t charge as much as a professional but that’s fine, you could at least charge as much as you’d earn working at a fast food restaurant or babysitting!
I freelanced since I was 14 years old, and it gave me invaluable experience in working with clients, negotiating, delivering on what I promised, and handling money.
And I got shafted by clients, like everyone does, which was good in a way because I learned a lot from it when stakes were very low and mostly it just hurt my feelings.
Yes you should use as much time as you can learning and trying lots of things — for cheap or free — because that’ll give you insight into what you do and don’t love, that’ll help you as you grow up and have to make adult decisions about college and career.
But there’s no reason you can’t earn some money while you’re doing it!