Mentoring is a time-honoured way of learning, having information passed on to you from someone who has spent years learning can save you both time and money and most of all improve your skills. Not only can you learn a particular skill, finding the right mentor can improve many aspects of your photography. It is also reassuring to know someone has your best interests at heart and will give you honest, candid feedback. Picking a mentor need not be a hard process or one to be scared of, well ok it might be a little bit but the benefits far outweigh that fear.
Here are some important points to consider when picking a photographic mentor.
You need to think about your favourite topic, are you a wildlife, sports, portrait or wedding photographer. You could even fit into more than one of these categories as most of us do. Write down a couple of your favourite subjects and the two that you really want to learn about. This will help you focus (excuse the pun).
You probably already have some names in mind, photographers you like, have listened to at talks etc. Write these names down as they are the easy ones. Next, do some online research into the local area and mentors who are not too far away. Check out local camera clubs, galleries a local college or the local photographic scene. Decide if it’s online mentoring or face to face you are looking for.
Knowing the subject you would like help with is a very important point, as without it you both may be left floundering and could spend valuable time on areas and tasks that could have been done before you embark on a mentoring program. Is it just a regular critic of your work, help with learning new techniques, someone to help you go in a new direction, maybe even someone you would like to shadow on shoots to observe how they work. Write down these points and be as vague or detailed as you want but make it clear what it is your looking for.
Making the decision to ask a mentor for help is sometimes as far as some people ever get, as getting in touch with someone can seem a daunting prospect. Don’t be worried about asking for help, we all started somewhere and help and guidance is what moves us forward. A good mentor will not expect you to know everything already. Make contact with the people on your list via email or message on social media. Don’t think they will not want me or they will be too busy, the worse they can do is let you know they are too busy etc. If they can’t help they may be able to point you in the right direction of someone who can.
Let’s say you have made contact with a mentor and they have agreed to help you out with your photography. It’s important you feel comfortable with your mentor not only in a learning way but in a personal way as it is a lot easier to learn from someone you get along with. Keep notes, not just what you’re learning but on the relationship as you might want to move on to a different mentor on your journey as your first mentor might not be your forever mentor. Your notes will help you pick your next one.
You may have a preconceived idea of what a mentoring session will be like and how the relationship will work. It’s ok to visualise this and the intended goals but keep an open mind and don’t get too hung up on it as your mentor may have their own ideas of how to help you improve and the path that will be best for you.
I have been on both ends of mentoring and know the benefits this can bring from first-hand experience. If this is something you have been thinking about I suggest you look into it and do it.