Importance of "The Ask"

I have reached a ceiling in my photographic progress. It's not an artistic ceiling, or a technical one. It's not about money for new gear, either.

It's a relational ceiling.

I have a difficult time asking people for things. I had always thought of it as shyness, but I've come to see that it's really a form of pride. I don't want to be seen as lacking or incomplete in any way. I want to be self-sufficient. Self-made. Self-reliant. This inability to include others in my narrative, to have additional names in the credit reel of my life, is pride.

I have goals for my photography beyond taking "pretty pictures". There are things that I want to capture and preserve. There are things I want to illustrate and draw attention to. There are concepts I want to convey. I can only do so much of that with what I have.

I need to be able to ask people for access to buildings and properties. I need to ask strangers for their photographs. I need to ask friends for the chance to take their portraits. I need to ask people to let me into their lives to show what they are going through. I need to ask for help on photo shoots. I need to ask if I can help with a photo shoot. I need to ask people to pay for my photos. Until I do, these are all obstacles to my progress as a photographer.

In order to overcome this reticence, I must create the habit of asking.