Only What You Need

Among the Birch

“Take only what you need to survive.” – Captain Lone Starr, Spaceballs

How much photography technique is too much?

Is it good enough to learn the techniques to be able to do what you want to do? To be able to say what you need to say?

What good is any more technique?

The liberal artist in me says learn all you can – simply for learning’s sake. I’m a lifelong self-educator. Part of me can’t help but dive into technique and tools and tips just because that’s how my brain works. It’s a sponge.

But then I hit a skill ceiling. I don’t need to learn much more about Photoshop, or exposure compensation, or lighting, because I have just enough to be able to express myself properly.

From here, with what I know now, the rest is just noise.