Be Careful
I was reading ESPN The Magazine at the gym this morning. It was the baseball preview issue and in it there was a piece on the Milwaukee Brewers. If you know anything about baseball, you know that the Brewers generally stink–this article highlighted the Brewers' young talent and toyed with the possibility of the team contending for the playoffs this year. Though I think that's unlikely, an image in the article caught my attention.
It was an image of the Brewers clubhouse (possibly at their Spring Training facility). On the wall was a sign. One of those motivation-type signs. It read:
TALENT IS GOD-GIVEN; BE HUMBLE
FAME IS MAN-GIVEN; BE THANKFUL
CONCEIT IS SELF-GIVEN; BE CAREFUL
The message struck me because, while its relevance to professional athletes is obvious, I think it fits for professional photographers. Like any art (and any sport), some skills just can't be taught. Some photographers blow me away with their God-given ability to compose a picture or see an artistic moment–they can take a good picture with a disposable camera. Those skills can be parlayed into fame and success. Yet, they also expose the temptation of pride.
Something to think about.