Jay Maisel, Bernie Boston, Hugh Morton, and George Tames are four famous photographers. I took this at the Southern Short Course in the 1980s.
Most photographers want to be known for their work, and almost everyone I know wants to have their work judged as significant.
Like many other photographers, I have tried numerous times to get hired by National Geographic Magazine. I wanted to cover important stories and be well-known.
I’ve had the privilege to meet some of the most outstanding photographers of our time. What interested me was that most people in the room had no idea who they were. They knew their images but didn’t recognize them.
One year later, I met Bill Fortney, who shared his thoughts. He pointed out that other than maybe Ansel Adams, most other “famous photographers” who walked into a local mall would most likely not be recognized. I think he is right.
Fortney went on to talk about how his pursuit of being a “famous photographer” was probably a big mistake. When he was diagnosed with cancer, he came face-to-face with the demons of pride in his life.
My mentor and friend, Don Rutledge, taught me much about being a photographer. I have yet to see anyone masterful storytelling with a camera. I was also impressed that he would talk with anyone and help anyone who asked him to. Rutledge helped just about everyone he met, even those just starting.
The Road to Success
I have spent most of my career figuring out the steps to success. As a result, numerous books help people climb the corporate ladder. Unfortunately, there are no photography career books outlining the steps to success.
What I continue to see over and over is “The Secret.” Most of the books helped me realize that to succeed, I must serve. However, this formula left a bad taste in my mouth. The message was more about how to rise to the top rather than how to live in the moment.
It continued to bother me that the only reason all these authors were writing the book was to tell everyone to do this for a while, and then you will be in charge.
What Don Rutledge Taught Me
Don wanted to tell stories with his camera, but they wanted him to manage communications departments because he was so good everywhere he worked. Don knew he was not gifted to lead but had a talent for visual storytelling.
People around him were mad at him for not stopping to do what he was good at and for leading the division.
I learned from Don that if I were a good ditch digger, there was no reason I couldn’t make a career out of it.
Finally, a book about how to be your best
While in Hawaii, I met Jack Hart. Jack was the art director for many years at CBS for TV shows like The Price Is Right.
After talking for a while, Jack said he had a book I needed to read. Unfortunately, I had to run off to teach a class, and just before I started, Jack came into the room and handed me The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places: The Joy of Serving God in the Ordinary.
It is a rapid read; you can also get it as an eBook.
Here is the first book I picked that outlined what I learned from Don Rutledge.
I believe the key to success is being joyful in life where you are now and not where you might be in the future.
What does this have to do with photography?
I have been working on a book to help students and those starting in this profession become successful photographers. One of the key messages is learning to connect the eighteen inches between the head and the heart.
The connection between why you do what you do and your attitude can make all the difference. Your mood is what makes people want to hire you again and again.
It took me many years to understand the importance of the question “why” in a story. I was asking Who, What, Where, When, and how, but I was filling the holes with information. I needed to be like a child and ask, “Why is the sky blue?”
Why does the story need to be told?
Attitude Adjustment
I have come to see that photographers understand they are here to serve others. They operate by helping others communicate effectively using visuals.
When you are a freelancer, a client occasionally insults you- or it feels this way. They may demean your position or some other way you feel offended. You can respond and set them straight; sometimes, this might be necessary, but you must ask yourself if it is worth losing the account.
As I read Ken Barnes’s book, I came across this quote he had from Gordon MacDonald in his book Rebuilding Your Broken World.
“You know whether or not you’re a servant by how you react when you’re treated like one.”
Do you seek significance? Do you want to be recognized? Is this getting in the way of your joy in living?
Chick-fil-A is one of my best clients. They are my best for many reasons, but one that I have realized over time is that they teach me the value of service.
Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A, had trained his children that whenever they came to the restaurant, they came in to pick up any trash. Truett also does the same even today. He will bend over at 91 and pick it up if he sees something.
Chick-fil-A trains its people to do any job joyfully; this includes the bathrooms and the dirty dishes.
You may become a “famous photographer” if you serve others. But I think the real question is, will you be happy in the role of a servant only when you discover the joy?