Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elden Andrews. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Elden, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
Imposter syndrome manifests itself every so often and has become something difficult to overcome at times. In the times which have not been so difficult, I consciously know that it will come and go in a matter of time (days, weeks, etc.). When the issue is a bit more pervasive or persistent, I tend to re-familiarize myself with previous successful projects, photos, or even trying to sharpen my skills. In the instance that those tried and true methods don’t work to alleviate my imposter syndrome, I typically take a step back to breathe. This allows for thoughts and feelings to be seen a bit more clearly. I am certainly no expert but I am learning to navigate this area each time it presents itself in my life.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a landscape, product, portrait, and documentary photographer utilizing both digital and thirty-five millimeter film. The most exciting aspect about what I do is having the ability to bring creative ideas to life. Whether it be a single aspect of an idea or a fully formed and thoroughly planned out project, the excitement of bringing thoughts to life is truly reward. From start to finish, an idea can take various turns and forms. This to me, continually keeps me creating to see what wonderful results can come next.
As of late, I have become fondly drawn to the documentation of life, events, and everyday surroundings. In these environments, I am provided continual attempts to capture the environment and subjects in their most intimate form.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Organization, Perseverance, Willingness to Learn
Organization provides the ability to keep photos, documents, and projects in an easily accessible manner. Without being as organized as I have been navigating this journey would have been impossible. The best way to develop this skill would be to find some useful information (either on the internet, friends or family, etc.) that provide a how-to step by step guide to getting organized and/or stay organized. From there, those steps can be applied to your creative field or endeavors.
Perseverance keeps you going on the days that you feel that you cannot or do not want to. Somehow, someway knowing that despite the obstacle in your way or how your feeling is surmountable and that you will make it to a new and brighter day is a necessary outlook to have. The best way to develop this would be to try to develop a more optimistic outlook or attitude as best possibly as you can.
A Willingness to Learn keeps you continually self improving upon your skills and craft. A necessary skill in just about every single field. The best way to develop or improve upon this skill is to find the best method for yourself to digest new information. Recently, I have found myself utilizing YouTube more than ever to learn new photography tricks and tips I had not known before. Previously, I disliked YouTube because I had felt overwhelmed by the number of videos and sources of information. After some time and allowing for room to grow, YouTube has become a go-to source for me to lean on to learn both new photography and non-photography related skills.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
The most important book that has played an important role in my development has been ‘Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs’ by Henry Carroll. This was the very first photography related book gifted to me from my fiancé at the start of my photography journey. I’ve probably read this book easily twenty times or more over the course of seven years.
The most valuable piece of wisdom from this book that still sticks with me today is that great photographs are made not taken. From this book and valuable piece of wisdom, I’ve learned a strong foundational understanding of composition, lighting, and “seeing” with my eyes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eldeeenexplores.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eldeeen.explores/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eldeeenexploresphoto
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheldeeen
