Never Ending "Take this Class"

Remember my days as an Olive Garden waitress? Ok, you probably don't because I never wanted to talk about it after I quit. Now my secret is out, and I give you full permission to make fun of me. Go ahead, do it.

Before photography took a full hold on my heart, I was serving at the nearby Olive Garden. OG is what you called it if you were cool. Because I obviously am, here I go... At the OG was a co-worker with a very famous name. Mr. Famous name is really into photography. When I told him about my interest, he basically followed me all around the restaurant saying "take this class, learn how to use photoshop, you should really take this class, TAKE THIS CLASS!" I wanted to dip my head into boiling hot soup just so I didn't have to hear it anymore. Yes, I was that annoyed. When I showed him the very first pictures I ever took with my camera. (Back then they were all automatic because I had no idea how to shoot manual) He basically talked my ear off some more about how I need to take classes. And I? I simply let it go into one ear and into the other.

Fast Forward to Friday, October 2nd. I had to go to the OG to get a paper signed for class. It's been awhile since I quit, and since I've seen Mr. Famous Name. A lot has happened in a while. I've learned how to shoot manual, and I've improved immensely with my photography. Or so I believe :)

The first person I see is...yep, you guessed it. Mr. Famous Name. What was the first question he asked? Of course, "How's your photography?" I looked at him and said with pride, "It's going great. I've been shooting a lot lately, and I get to second shoot next weekend." By now I'm wishing I had my camera so that I could take a photo of his facial expression. It was a mix of: you? really? that's a whole lot of bs, and wow! how'd you manage to pull that one? He then proceeds to ask me what I've done, and starts to tell me that I need a website, a smugmug, and a whole list of other information that I already know and have. He then asks to see my photos, so I show him. Then he tells me that I shouldn't use natural light and that I should learn about lighting. "Gasp!" Yes, my mouth is open too. The nerve, right?

Mr. Famous Name has a way of making me feel like I'm not good enough. Yes, I use natural light. and NO, I've never taken any classes. But you know what, it doesn't make you any better than I am. Take a look around Mr. Famous Name, there are plenty of well known photographers that use natural light and have never taken a single class about photography except "I'll teach myself 101" So please, stop pestering me about taking classes and using artificial lighting. Yes, in the future I might take a class and learn how to use lighting. But for now, it's my art, my photography, and my life. Let me enjoy my passion.