| In high school I learned to play racket ball, as did | | | | If you wanted to become a master carpenter, you |
| several of my friends. Over the next year, I played the | | | | studied and worked with a master carpenter. You |
| best players I could find. My friends only played among | | | | asked questions, you picked his brain, you watched |
| themselves. Sure I lost a lot of games at first, but | | | | and you learned. You became the best by studying |
| during that year I also learned and grew more than | | | | the best. |
| any of the others I had started with. I became the best | | | | If you are one of those who actually does know more |
| by playing the best. | | | | than most of those around you, don't be greedy. God |
| In photography, you have a similar option. You can | | | | gave you a gift, so that you could share. Having a |
| take pictures and show them to your friends and | | | | mentor can be as basic as a father showing a son |
| family, who probably know less than you do . . . or you | | | | how to tie his shoe. Being a mentor can be as basic, |
| go out and find someone who already has experience | | | | as giving an encouraging word, to those who may be |
| and learn from them. You don't have to take 20 years | | | | about to give up. |
| to learn from someone who has 20 years of | | | | This concept of helping one another is as old as time |
| experience, but you do have to be willing to listen. | | | | itself. Unfortunately, in today's world we often get so |
| Don't take this wrong. I'm not saying you can't learn | | | | tied up in ourselves, that pride robs us of the chance to |
| from books, because you can. But in a very real | | | | become the very best we can be. Photography is a |
| sense, the written word is much like an iceberg. What | | | | lot like computers: the more you know, the more you |
| you can read about represents only about 10% of | | | | realize there is to know. Find yourself a mentor, and |
| what's out there, 90% of what a master photographer | | | | never stop learning. |
| knows comes from experience. Fact of life; there will | | | | Once you've reached the top, remember how you got |
| always be someone who knows more than you do. | | | | there. It's your turn to give an encouraging word. It's |
| Don't be ashamed of it, embrace it and grow. | | | | your turn to be a parent, a friend, a guide. In other |
| In the old days, when someone wanted to learn a | | | | words, it's your turn to be a mentor. Being humble is |
| trade they would become an apprentice, sometimes | | | | one thing, but don't refuse to help others because you |
| for years. The idea was simple, if you wanted to learn | | | | don't know it all yet. Part of the learning process, is |
| how to become a blacksmith, you studied a blacksmith. | | | | being able to teach what you know. |