Six Stages

Many years ago I read the Corporate Steeple Chase.  It talked about a road map to success in the corporate world and of course some of the pitfalls along the way.  

In a similar vein, Alexandre Buisse has summarized 6 stages a photographer goes through (the terms are my own; Alexander didn’t offer pithy titles):

1. simply record, no artistic intent
2. initial enthusiasm; interest in creating good shots but does not know how
3. learning the technical aspects
4. enlightenment; the realization that it is necessary to move beyond technique; composition is key
5. developing a style or vision
6. execution; has found the voice and just shoots

Highlighted pitfalls include:

• spending too much time on gear
• getting too technical
• not sharing / leveraging social sites