The Master and the Apprentice System

[Gary@Red Photo]

Photography is one of those areas where a Master and Apprentice system still exists. You might wonder why people learning the art and craft of photography are expected to learn under a more experienced photographer. This idea might seem so antiquated and romatic, like we were back in the Renaissance. It still exists today because it works and it works well. Photography is such a vast field. While the technical aspects are pretty much the same, the approach to different areas are very different. Product photography has a very different set of skills from portrait photography. So no matter how well educated a budding photographer has become they should assist or apprentice with a more seasoned photographer. So it is obvious what is in it for the apprentice learning under a master, but what is in it for the master you may wonder. Here is a great quote from The E Myth Revisted by Michael E. Gerber.

"For the master, there is only one way and that is to teach another. The master is connected to the apprentice as though to her past. As you are to your childhood. The master knows that the process of growing, of change, of transformation, is always moving, never still. It is in the face of the apprentice that the master sees herself anew. It is in the face of the craftsperson that the master renews her pilgrimage and finds the beauty of giving herself up to work. It is in the face of the work that the master discovers anew why she is so enraptured and, in so doing, brings her rapture to the appretice to start all over again."

Everyone should seek out a qualified mentor so that both parties can reap the benefits.

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[drewdunnrespect]

well said squire but my question is this and that is, how does the apprentice go about finding the master that he is to learn from in the first place? The reason i ask is if you dont have a master to learn from the apprentice system will not work.

[curelightwounds]

Originally Posted by drewdunnrespect

well said squire but my question is this and that is, how does the apprentice go about finding the master that he is to learn from in the first place? The reason i ask is if you dont have a master to learn from the apprentice system will not work.

You'd be hard pressed to find a 'master' in the classical sense.

You're far more likely to find a handful of quasi-masters who are happy to hold your hand every now and then, ready to dispense with occasional distillations of things they've learned over the years.

You'd be surprised by what you can find by asking people. I've seen a marked improvement in my photography in the past month just from asking people online and offline for advice and tips and criticism.

[Gary@Red Photo]

Don't think of a Master is such high terms. Anyone that is in front of you in the learning process can act as a master, or more as a mentor now. You have to take some chances, work with different people, and hope to get lucky. For me it was when I began as a freelance photo assistant and then again when I was in graduate school and had several mentors. You may not spend years learning under them, but there are things to learn from many. Good luck in the search.

[dionv]

Originally Posted by drewdunnrespect

well said squire but my question is this and that is, how does the apprentice go about finding the master that he is to learn from in the first place? The reason i ask is if you dont have a master to learn from the apprentice system will not work.

To paraphrase an old proverb:

"When the apprentice is ready, the master will appear"

Hmmm, you've already found DPS, so that's a start.

Look around locally for networking groups or photography clubs. There's bound to be someone willing to share a little.

I don't think a true master and apprentice setup could work in this day and age, but there are reasonable facsimiles.