Constantly learning...

  I have always been a big advocate of continuing education, but now I feel as if I am a product of that idea. I  spend most of my days learning through seminars and books, and when I am not doing that, I am trying to practice the techniques and skills I am learning. The best thing is taking on challenges that other professionals in my field have issued. After all, they have been there and learned most things the hard way, and when the work is just not flowing like I wish it would, I take these challenges to heart. Challenges drive me, and push me to learn and master new techniques and ideas. And I find myself in the unusual position of working for myself rather than for a client, which means I have no limits, no boundaries on my creativity.
  I started this post nearly a year ago, and since have learned quite a bit. My posing has improved, as well as my composition, technique, camera knowledge, and most importantly, my confidence. I now possess a greater ability to roll with the punches at most of my shoots. When challenges come up, I often find myself being able to say "Hey, I've done this before, just breathe and make it beautiful." and it helps me maintain the focus I need in order to rely on my training. Whereas, less than a year ago, I was freaking out when all the conditions weren't ideal. Now I am learning to master the art of controlling the situations, and quick alternate routes for the times when I can't control everything.
   I plan to continue updating this post as I learn new things, hope to be revisiting this post often, in fact. And to those of you readers who are now or plan to be engaged in some kind of training or education, never settle for knowing enough. Always push your boundaries, and don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Constantly surprise yourself by meeting new challenges, and master your craft, whatever it may be. There is no greater feeling than being able to execute a task with expected results over and over again, and to have people view you as a trusted advisor in your field. While I have only had the pleasure of experiencing this on a very small scale, I still hope to someday call some of my favorite photographers my peers.
   If you have been motivated to keep learning, or already appreciate the value in expanding your knowledge base, please comment below and let me know what you desire to learn next, or what it is that you are studying for. Thanks for reading, now to crack another book...