The following is a complete list of the sections and essays in Ben Long’s The Practicing Photographer, Essays on Developing Your Photographic Practice, published by CDP Press.
- Forward, by Keith Carter
- Introduction, by Rick LePage
Practicing
- Why practice?
- Practice by any other name
- Practice takes practice
- Remove the obstacles to shooting
- To Instagram or not to Instagram
- Search out group critiques
- Practicing photography is hard
Before Shooting
- Artistry is learned
- Study the past
- How to look at photos
- Train your eye through photo books
- Photographers for your consideration
- Exposure isn’t everything
- Understanding your medium
- Learn what seeing feels like
Shooting
- Look for interesting things
- It takes work to find a photograph
- The difference between “of” and “about”
- What does “comfort zone” really mean?
- Shoot first, ask questions later
- Fill your media card
- Get into a rut
- Making choices
- Work with your eyes, not your brain
- Always be a photographer
- “Pretty” photos matter
- Shoot sketches
Mind Games
- Am I good?
- Why do other people’s photos look better than mine?
- Fear
- Clichés
- Maybe it’s not a cliché
- Don’t control the shoot before you start
- “What if I’m stupid?”
- Things going wrong can be good news
- Take the “why not” shot
- Passion and boredom
Post-Production
- Less is more
- Editing vs. editing
- Good Photoshop is not good photography
- The most powerful tool in your image editor
- In praise of the small print
- Another use for printing
Presentation
- Build your portfolio
- Tips for building a portfolio
- A strong body of work takes time
- Maybe you don’t know enough yet
- Wrestling with the artist’s statement
- Titles
- What does a sale mean?
- Getting your project out into the world
Coda
- Developing a practice strategy
- Is my practice successful?
- Other Resources
Reprinted from The Practicing Photographer, Essays on Developing Your Photographic Practice, by Ben Long. ©2021 Ben Long and CDP Press. All rights reserved.
The Practicing Photographer is available in the CDP Press store. ISBN 978-1-7326369-4-1 (print); 978-1-7326369-5-8 (ebook).