3. Join a Camera Club Maybe you never joined a camera club because you felt intimidated that everyone else knew more than you. Perhaps you thought you’d have to spend all your time explaining technique to other people who had just gotten started. Consider this: Photographers of all skill levels can enhance a group, ranging from a novice to the published pro. What’s most important is the camaraderie and energy of other like-minded individuals. Don’t look for levels of expertise. Instead, look for shared interests and experiences. Don’t stick with your own age group—the best clubs have a wonderful mix of young and mature individuals. Visit the various clubs, inquire where you take your film to be developed, and if necessary, start your own club with people you’ve met while you were out shooting on the weekends, or taking a ten-minute break between errands to grab a quick photograph. If you’ve been creating a series of photos along a particular theme, you’ve probably amassed enough work to consider what your best images are. Photo © Craig Varjabedian, All Rights Reserved 4. Enter Photo Contests If you’ve been developing a series of photographs along a particular theme, you should have enough of a portfolio by now to consider what you think your best photographs are. Even if you’ve just shot your first roll during a summer workshop and are pleased with some of the results, consider entering an image or two into a photo contest. Imagine how exciting it would be if you, a novice, won a prize. Think of how affirming it would be if your body of work was recognized and appreciated by your peers. Plan on entering regional and national photo contests. Find out when the deadlines are and plan your photographic efforts around these opportunities. How to find a contest? Simple—most local newspapers or regional journals offer a yearly contest. For example, here in Santa Fe, New Mexico Magazine offers an annual contest of “The Best.” Go on the Web and search either in your region or your area of interest (photographs of antiques, animals, children, etc.). The Texas Photographic Society publishes a current list of contests in their Contact Sheet Newsletter. (Check out www.jonessoda.com to submit photos for use on their soda bottle labels. This is kinda cool!) Here’s an added bonus—Petersen’s Photographic has a monthly photo contest to which you can submit your work. If you’re selected as one of the winners, it’s a terrific way to see your image in print. Make an appointment with yourself to take pictures at least once a week, and don’t put it off. You must practice photography often to become good at it. Photo © Craig Varjabedian, All Rights Reserved 5. Present Your Work to the Public If you’ve been taking pictures with a theme or happen to take some remarkable images, don’t keep them to yourself (or only your family). Assemble a presentation of your work to exhibit. You’ll get practice putting together sequences of photographs, matting and framing, and hanging. You’ll also have a new way to see your images in a large venue, not just spread out on the dining room table or displayed in your own private hall. There are many potential venues to show your work. Inquire at the local library, hospital or city hall. Go to places where you already have a relationship: Your doctor, dentist, favorite restaurant or bank. I’ve been surprised at how many businesses are looking for art to exhibit on their walls, and furthermore, places that want to acknowledge their commitment to art and to the community. And if you belong to a camera club, this is a good time to do a group show, and to allow a local organization to display the talents of the community. Don’t forget art and craft fairs. There’s usually a fee to set up a booth, but you could see how your work fares. You’ll get lots of comments and you may even make some sales! If you have some stunning images, consider assembling a presentation of your work to exhibit at venues such as a local gallery, library or restaurant. Photo © Craig Varjabedian, All Rights Reserved 6. Take a Photo Course This is a good opportunity to continue to enrich your photographic life and to support your local community college. Many community colleges offer terrific photography classes. The teachers are often professional photographers who like to keep their hand in this discipline, and have a teaching career even while they are busy making photographs themselves. Check out both credit and non-credit courses. You can take classes as diverse as wet darkroom processing to learning Adobe Photoshop. And if you can’t commit to a class that meets for several months, then consider signing up for a photography workshop that may last a long weekend or five days. You’ll experience adventure, new friends, techniques and ideas. You can home in on a couple of new things to learn—lenses or filters, portraiture or landscapes—enough to be inspired but not overwhelmed. 7. IMPORTANT! Commit Yourself to Being a Photographer Make an appointment with yourself to take pictures at least once a week. Don’t put it off, don’t wait for a holiday or good weather, and don’t wait until the in-laws leave (take them with you and have them hold your film). Learning to do photography is much like learning to play a musical instrument. You have to practice often to become good at it. And if you slack off for too long, you’ll be surprised how long it takes to get back in the swing of using the camera. Stay motivated—make your first New Year’s resolution to keep photography as an important part of your life. Craig Varjabedian is a fine-art photographer and teacher, whose luminous photographs are collected by many private and public institutions. He’s also the director of the New Mexico Photography Field School, www.photofieldschool.com.