Nikon D3s, 28-300mm, ISO 400, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000

“It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.”

— Paul “Bear” Bryant 

The Army’s Airborne School has training before you jump out of the plane with a parachute.

Photographers would do well to learn a few things from the military about how they approach their jobs.

When you come out of the plane, many things can go wrong. On one of my son’s jumps, the carabiner came loose from the parachute; he quickly grabbed the parachute and held on tight. He knew the alternative was a smaller backup parachute, where you come in much faster and are more prone to injury during landing.

Training had alerted him to the process and what to be aware of when he jumped.

Preparation is required to open the parachute properly and land on almost any type of terrain below.

It amazes me how much training is involved before our armed forces perform their duty in a “combat” situation.

When they are not actively training, a lot of waiting is involved.

Tips from the military for the photographer

• Spend a lot of time getting to know your gear
• Practice shooting assignments similar to those you will do for “real” later.
• Stay fit by eating right and exercising. Of course, it would help if you had physical stamina for those long day assignments.
• Expand your skills. As military personnel seek more specialized training, you must continue adding more skills to make yourself valuable.
• Military Camaraderie – Nothing in the civilian workforce can approximate the bonding in the wardroom, ready room, or foxhole. Military personnel in those environments endure much hardship – long hours, stressful working conditions, danger to personal safety, separation from loved ones, and more. However, they get through it because they are all in it together. This mutual self-sacrifice, teamwork, and covering each other’s sixes contribute to individual bonding, unit cohesion, and camaraderie. See your competition more as your colleagues rather than just competition. 
• Military personnel understand how inadequate preparation can cost their lives and those around them. Likewise, the lack of preparation for the photographer will cost them their careers.

My son is a 1st Lt in the Army and will attend Special Forces School for three weeks next month. If he makes it through this, he will spend the next two years training before calling himself “Special Forces.”  Because of his investment, the military will also invest in him and give him a job for even more years. If you stagnate in the military, your days will be limited.  If you are not growing in photography skills and offering more to your clients, someone else will replace you with your clients. Have you been training and preparing for the jobs you haven’t even been assigned? If not, then don’t be disappointed when you have to find another career to pay your bills.