The Beginner Photography Podcast

Trusting Your Vision Over Trends in Street Photography with Valerie Jardin

• Raymond Hatfield

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#421 In this episode of the Beginner Photography Podcast, I chat with the talented Street Photographer, Valérie Jardin. She talks about exploring the essence of street photography and the power of self-imposed limitations.  As you listen, challenge yourself to embrace the light around you, whether it's rain, fog, or harsh sunlight. Remember, there's no such thing as bad light, only opportunities to see the world differently. Valérie reminds us to trust our vision and not get bogged down by gear or the pursuit of perfection.

THE BIG IDEAS

  • Embrace Limitations: Discover how constraints can sharpen your focus and boost creativity.
  • Observation Over Equipment: Understand that your unique perspective is more valuable than any camera.
  • Trust Your Vision: Learn the importance of authenticity and the power of your individual voice in photography.


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Connect with Raymond!


Thanks for listening & keep shooting!

Valerie Jardin:

If they're shooting for themselves, but then they're trying to please an audience, it's just as if they were shooting for clients then. And are they really happy with what they're producing? or are they trying to get the likes?

Raymond Hatfield:

Welcome to the Beginner Photography Podcast. I am your host, Raymond Hadfield, and today we are chatting with renowned street photographer Valerie Jardin about the transformative power of embracing limitations and the importance of observation in your photography. And as always, the Beginner Photography Podcast is brought to you by CloudSpot. Share your photos, sell your photos, and start booking clients all within CloudSpot. It truly is the all in one solution for photographers like you and me. So sign up for a free account today and only upgrade when you need to over at deliverphotos. com. Now, by the end of today's interview with Valerie, you're going to walk away with three things. One, you're going to know how to embrace limitations. We're going to talk about how to discover the constraints that can sharpen your focus and boost creativity. Two, the importance of observation over equipment. Valerie is going to help you to understand your unique perspective, is just much more valuable than any camera. And three, to trust your vision, where Valerie shares the importance of authenticity and the power of your individual voice in photography. And at the end of the episode, I'm going to share with you where you can download your free photography action plan based on everything that Valerie shares today in her interview. So stick around until the end. But with that, let's go ahead and get on into today's interview. It has been three years since you were last on the podcast. So for new listeners who are, who are coming in from near and far, many different countries, can you remind us, how just, you got your start in photography? Well, thank you for having me back after three years, three years already. I don't know. I think we're we're missing a year or two in there. Kind of didn't exist, or wished it didn't exist. Well, I started actually photography about 23 years ago. But, at the time I was, photographing everything and anything, and then I quickly became a commercial photographer, totally self taught. And I ran a pretty successful commercial photography business for seven, eight years, and then about 10 years ago, exactly now, and, and. In 2012, I quit my commercial photography business and started teaching and that's what I've been doing pretty much full time ever since teaching workshops around the world. So, and that came in the time where I really narrowed down what I was really passionate about, which was documentary photography. And quickly. I had a following and, people were urging me to teach. And one year I said, okay, just going to do a week long workshop in Paris and see how it goes. And the following year I had nine workshops. So it was, uh, it started really strong. So I, I let go of all my commercial clients because I knew that I think once you're passionate about something, nothing else really matters. And I knew at that moment that sharing my passion and my vision with people. I wanted to do and, uh, in every form possible, whether at the time it was teaching, mostly, face to face, but then I started writing books and then podcasting and everything else. So it was all about sharing. And so the commercial aspect of photography was so unimportant and I, I haven't shot for a client since then. And I love it. I felt, I feel like I went back to being an amateur photographer in the sense that I do it purely for the love of it, and I'm the only person I have to please with my photography, which is the best place to be. Of course. So one of the things that I think about often when it comes to photography is that at least for a wedding photographer, and obviously as a commercial photographer as well, you're shooting for somebody and there's this expectation of, well, I have to, produce something that they're going to find pleasing.

Valerie Jardin:

Yeah.

Raymond Hatfield:

Um, what was that like when you started just, like, shooting for yourself? Was there a lot of self doubt in your images?

Valerie Jardin:

no, I've always been very true to myself, so even when I was shooting for clients, especially when they're new clients, you really, you always listen to your client, but when they don't know you, they kind of want to control everything. so even back then, when I was really new at this, I would, kind of deliver the shots that the client was envisioning, and then I would do my own thing. And then I always found out that it's usually the ones that I did kind of for me on locations. I did a lot of, architecture interior. I also did a lot of commercial, food photography on location and restaurants and so forth. And I find that it's usually the shots that I did for me that the client would want to buy, because they're not photographers. They don't really have that. They don't have that vision. So, and then after a while, when you work for the same clients. year after year, especially with, I shot a lot of interiors after amazing designers. And so they would just give you the key and say, Hey, do your magic. and then you have complete creative freedom. And those were the best clients. And that's when I was the most, The happiest. but at the beginning, you kind of have to compromise between your vision and their vision. So you never really shoot for yourself at 100%. But I think then that's when it's so important for any working photographer to pursue personal projects, because that's what's going to ground you. And that's what's going to feed your creative soul. If you don't, it just becomes a job. And I almost fell into that at one point where I didn't feel like digging the camera out on weekends because I was working for clients all week. So it's so, so important to keep that passion alive by working on personal projects. And then when I quit working for clients altogether, No, it was amazing. Amazing. and then you, you risk falling into the, oh, I have to please the social media audience. And then for a while, you know, you get caught in that really unhealthy path of trying to please a social media audience. And then you realize like, who cares? You know, as a photographer, when you're not shooting for clients anymore, you're the only person you need to please. Once you discover that and you're comfortable with that, wow, it's amazing. So I urge everyone to really, think about that because if they're shooting for an audience, if they're shooting for themselves, but then they're trying to please an audience. It's just as if they were shooting for clients then. And are they really happy with what they're producing? Is it, or are they trying to get the likes? So they're producing work like they see others do that are, getting a lot of likes. And then they're not true to themselves. And that's not sustainable either.

Raymond Hatfield:

I always find it funny. and I mean, I did the same thing as well. Like when you first get into photography, you love the creativity of just shooting on your own and doing your own thing. But then once somebody asks you to like photograph them or their family, the first thing that you do is you look at other photographers work and then you try to emulate that. And then the shoot doesn't go well because that's not who you are as a photographer. And then you hate it. And then you just want to go back to shooting for yourself anyway, and that's a hard thing to break out of for sure, but it's not

Valerie Jardin:

gonna and you're not going to stand out until you find your own voice. So, everybody will start by, I mean, when I started, couldn't even look at pictures online because. Now, there was nothing online 23 years ago, so you get books and you kind of try to, say, Oh, that's how you post people, blah, blah, blah. And then you try to do the same thing. And then quickly you develop, hopefully quickly you develop your own voice and that's when you're going to stand out from the pack but there are photographers who would never do, they kind of do the same thing over and over again. It's the cookie cutter approach, which is fine. And it pays the bill. But I'm not sure they're very happy.

Raymond Hatfield:

Yeah, absolutely. I remember I actually listened back to our last interview that we did when I was preparing for this one. And I remember you saying that as you were growing up, photography really wasn't important to you. You had photos on your walls, but it's like the photography itself wasn't the art of photography wasn't very important to you. And I never got to ask do you remember when that switched? Like, when did you know that photography was going to play an important role in your life?

Valerie Jardin:

Yes, it was a really late in life in my late twenties. And, when I really picked up a camera, seriously, for the first time, I grew up, when I had an art in art class throughout school, whether it was, elementary school, middle school. I don't think we had a, yeah, our high school too. My art teachers already said that I had absolutely no creative, vision. I couldn't draw, I couldn't pay, you know? So, so I kind of figured, well, I'm just not an artsy person. And it's really dangerous how a teacher was mostly one teacher. And then I kind of like, eh. That's just not for me. You can assume they're right. And that was middle school. I had this awful art teacher who said I was hopeless, you know, why pursue anything? And, but that stuck with me. And for the longest time, I didn't even want to pick up pencil or paintbrush or a camera or anything. I pursued music, however, and I was very successful at it. But anything, visual art, I didn't think that was for me. So, and then one day I had already moved to the United States when I picked up a camera and said, well, why don't I try this? And within a year I was made, I was making a living with it. So, obviously teacher, didn't really know me well. And, uh, but almost prevented me from pursuing any visual art endeavor. So it really, every parent out there, just be very careful as to how teachers can influence your children in a negative way like that. Because, I think that's less and less common now. Teachers are a little bit more nurturing, but, so that teacher, yeah, just really, almost prevented me from even picking up a camera.

Raymond Hatfield:

Isn't that crazy to think about how like one comment could completely change your life? And what's great is that you, I guess I want to know, like, you reckon, not maybe that you recognize, but you had some sort of moment where you thought to yourself, screw them. I'm gonna pick up a camera anyway. And I'm gonna I'm gonna take these photos. Why was that? what was the thing that drove you? did you buy a camera? Did you see a camera?

Valerie Jardin:

I got a camera for a birthday and, my second son was just a baby. And I started, photographing, not just my kids, but, I would go on, on hikes with friends with, uh, children and, and I started doing, candid children portraiture at a time when no one did that because everybody was doing the standard portrait, you know, the school portrait or the Christmas portrait In a studio with the fake fireplace in the background, that kind of stuff. That was the big deal in the States. And I was actually taking kids on walk and photographing them in prairie grass or in the snow and just doing a photojournalistic, Capture of their life and people love that and that's what caught on actually, from word of mouth and within a year of picking up a camera for the first, and I was in full auto, I knew nothing about the camera. I remember it was a Canon Rebel, it was film, obviously, and, um. I can't remember. Anyways, I had a couple cannons. and then, from then on, I just, Yeah, it just took off. and from portraiture, I opened a studio and then, and then I started, I got requests for, other types of photography and I never said no. I said, well, I'm going to try. I mean, worst thing that could happen is that I fail and I don't charge the client. No big deal. Unless, of course not a wedding, but you know, if I was asked to, to do a, a food shoot, I had never shot food before. For a restaurant. And I said, well, I'm just going to try it. And it was very successful. And I got the contract. So, I figure you just have to explore every, everything until you find your thing. And, uh, and some things stuck and some didn't, so.

Raymond Hatfield:

What I love about that is that, like earlier you were talking about how, you really want to be able to find your voice relatively quickly. And what you did is that you just went out to just take photos of your own kids in a way that you just thought, like, oh well this is fun, this looks cool. And then other people found you based on this thing that you were doing.

Valerie Jardin:

You were

Raymond Hatfield:

able to provide it to others rather than think to yourself, Oh, they want me to take their photos. Maybe I should get a fake fireplace and a fake Christmas tree because that's what you think that they want. And you followed, you followed that voice and, uh, and it paid off. That's great.

Valerie Jardin:

I think, I think when you follow your passion, that's where you're going to shine, people who are passionate about horses should photograph horses. That's where their work is going to shine. So, yeah,

Raymond Hatfield:

If that were the case, I should only photograph, inside breweries, disc golf courses and rally cars. That would be a, those are going to be the only thing you

Valerie Jardin:

never know. This could actually, uh, you know, you could become the guy who, uh, who photographs, every micro brewery.

Raymond Hatfield:

That'd be great. In

Valerie Jardin:

your state. And then all over the world.

Raymond Hatfield:

That'd be such a cool project. know that last time, when we talked, since then we have gone through a global pandemic and as a street photographer, tell me what those earliest days were like for you.

Valerie Jardin:

Very sad. Very sad. And, well, first of all, I had to cancel almost a full year of workshops. Although I had, by March, 2020 I had been in, uh, I had already taught in three different countries I was in. I had been to Paris twice, London and Lisbon, and I was in Lisbon when everything, started going, into lockdown and it was my last workshop of 2020. It was amazing. Everybody was, people were coming from all over the world and I think this little group. We'll have to have a reunion at some point because it was our last moment of freedom, these few days in Lisbon. It was such an amazing thing, experience. it will probably remain one of my favorite workshops and then came back to France and then flew back to the US, on one of the last commercial flights. And then. And then the unknown, at first we thought it was going to be a couple of weeks, right? And then here we are, two years later. So, it was hard. And at first, I just, you know, everybody started documenting people wearing masks and blah, blah, blah on the street or empty streets. And that's fine if you're in an amazing city like New York or Paris, but, winter in Minnesota, it's pretty empty anyways. So on a regular year or so, it's not a really big deal. People actually wear masks just to protect themselves from the cold. So, I really wasn't drawn to documenting the pandemic, mostly because, well, so many people were doing it, were doing it, and every time I would see a picture of someone wearing a mask on social media, I kind of wanted to roll my eyes and say, Oh, gosh, again, just don't remind me. We will never forget this. I don't think we need photographs to, to remind us of it. Well, I think too, nobody knew it was going to last that long. And so, I had the opposite approach. I wanted to see life normal again. So I started photographing, on the beach or on the lakes, or, I spent last, the last winter, here, although we were not in lockdown per se anymore. But on ice, photographing all the activities that are happening on the frozen lakes of Minnesota, whether it's skating, ice fishing, ice dancing, ice swimming, and I'm, I'm doing it again this year, because that's where people are really normal. The streets are not back to normal here. For sure. Plus it's been really cold. Although, going back and started the workshops again, last summer. life was back to normal on the streets when then you go inside and, and then of course you wear a mask. So, but as a street photographer, things were good again, starting last summer. So, but for a full year, yeah, it was really sad. yeah. I worked on, on different projects that would be an escape from actually this, this whole thing where you'd have interaction with people. And I started documenting small businesses that, you know, that were suffering during the lockdowns and things like that, just for me. and it helped them too. And people were craving that social interaction during those months. Of course. so I, I made it, had I known back then that it would last a couple of years, hopefully not much longer. I would have probably gone into despair, but you know, when you don't know, it doesn't what you don't know doesn't hurt. And, at the time, you know, you were, we were taking it day by day. And so, but, uh, I was so, I was missing the workshop so much, so much. The going back to teaching, on the streets again, it was just the most amazing thing, amazing thing. And now, yeah, I'm excited about, about this year.

Raymond Hatfield:

I find it interesting that, somebody such as yourself who is a street photographer who loves to get out. And I guess first, let me ask when you go out and shoot the street, what is the driver for you? Is it, the thought of catching something interesting? Is it the thought of creating art? Is it just simply being outside and being able to? to work?

Valerie Jardin:

Oh, for me, it's, it's the experience. a photographer. One said it's a bus. He was a magnum photographer. and he's a photographer who really said it the best. And I quote him. Often on on workshops, and he said, get a good pair of walking shoes and fall in love and that is exactly what street photography is for me. It's the joy of being out there and having the privilege to see the beauty in everyday life. And then, yeah, if I capture a keeper. I'm happy, but it's not going to be a deal breaker. I'm totally fine, just being out there and capturing very few frames on a full day of walking the streets. Well, I'm, I'm very, Very deliberate and I'm very picky. I don't just press the shutter just randomly. So I'm very in my photography and I have pretty high standards, so, you don't get a wow picture every day. That's impossible and no one does. but that's, that doesn't even matter at that point. It's really being happy, to be out there and it's, it's the experience. So the photograph is the icing on the cake, honestly. I would, I'm happy. I'm frustrated if I do it and I don't have a camera. If I'm out there, I don't have a camera. I get really frustrated. Don't get me wrong. but just having the camera makes me happy. And if I use it, I use it. If I don't, I don't, but at least I have it. And if I capture something amazing, it's wonderful. If I don't, no big deal. So I think you can't, you can't be a photographer or street photographer, if you don't love people and if you don't love the experience, because everything I shoot is 100 percent candid. So I never stage anything. I never ask people to do anything, which is not, or is true in street photography in general, there is a lot of staged photograph, but to me, that would totally defeat the purpose because it takes the merit out of the equation. And then if you take the merit and the challenge out of it, then it takes the fun out of it and then why do it? So, just looking for those moments when, the light, the story and, everything comes together, and then your preparation and then serendipity come and meet. that's the most amazing thing. And that's why I think street photography is so addicting too, because it is so difficult. And, uh, yeah.

Raymond Hatfield:

Tell me more about the idea of street photography being addicting because, I love weddings. I love getting out there. I love shooting weddings, but I never think to myself, like, I wish that I could shoot a wedding every day. And I can tell you that just by talking to you, that for you, street photography is an addiction. Why is it so addictive?

Valerie Jardin:

because you're, first of all, you're never there. You never become the best you can be. You always learn. There is always something. there is a story to be told, every day at every street corner. and everything is a challenge. and you could always find more, more difficult, things to shoot. I mean, I don't know. I just find that it's something that I could never get tired of. I mean, I do. I shoot other things. I shoot a lot of contemplative type photography, still life, everyday objects on the streets or in buildings. I'm already seeing the beauty in the everyday and the mundane, and that's what street photography is, really. And so, I don't know, honestly, if I'm out there without my camera, I can be in the countryside without a camera. It doesn't bother me. Usually, if I go for a hike in the woods, that's the only time I won't have my camera. I'll record things with my phone. I always have a camera since I always have my phone, but, that's the only time where I won't miss my camera. But if I'm anywhere where there are people, it's like a kid with his safety blanket base, a security blanket. I would be, lost without it. Yeah. It just makes me happy. At least I need to have it with me, whether I use it or not. that's. It's a different thing.

Raymond Hatfield:

Yeah. And who needs more of a reason than that, if it makes you happy. But, speaking of, having a camera that you carry with you every day, two years ago at the start of this whole thing, I was patiently awaiting a live stream from Fuji where they were going to announce a brand new camera when all of a sudden I see you walk out on stage

Valerie Jardin:

and I

Raymond Hatfield:

get all excited and you announce, I mean, what to me was a dream camera, the Fuji X 100 V and not that you need to go into, the Fuji X 100 V itself, but can you tell us about your history with the X 100 series cameras and what drew them to you for street photography?

Valerie Jardin:

Well, actually, it's a coincidence that we're recording this now because this week marks the 10 year anniversary of the x series. So that's when the x100 was born 10 years ago I didn't drop on that first one, but I got my first x100 a year later. So it's been nine years shooting with that same camera. And then I've had everyone since then, eight years ago, I became an official ex photographer. And as you said, yeah, two years ago, I was invited to London for the launch of the X 100 V, in February, 2020. So that camera to me changed my photography. I think just the limitations alone. And I was, I was shooting with a great camera before I, I was my last. non Fuji camera was a 5D Mark II and I had all the beautiful L lenses and I mean it was an amazing kit, but the minute I got that, that X100S at the time. That was it. I wasn't shooting for clients anymore. I'm like, why do I, why would I need that other camera? And I got rid of everything very quickly at the time. You could still sell your DSLR for good money 10 years ago. And then, and then all my lenses were just beautiful. They still, they were in the box and I had kept the boxes. So I actually, I sold everything real. Yeah. Well, never get rid of your box. If you want to sell your gear. so, I sold everything and all I had was that camera was it 23 millimeter 35 equivalent lens that you can't remove and you can't change. And those limitations honestly, just really changed everything for me. So I mean, I'm, I'll, I'll, this is always going to be my favorite camera. Doesn't matter. And I've, I've had the opportunity to try many other cameras since then, I always come back to that one. Even other manufacturers, I've reached out to me with some pretty amazing, very, very, very expensive, uh, cameras and always go back to this one. So, this is all I need. This is all I need.

Raymond Hatfield:

You sold all of your other lenses. Like you had the lenses, you're a working photographer. It's not like you can't afford other lenses. What is it about one camera, one lens that does it for you?

Valerie Jardin:

Well, my other kit was really for, to work for clients. When I was using my 5d Mark two at the time for street photography, I either had a 50 or the pancake was the 40 pancake, 40 millimeter on it because it made the camera a little less, conspicuous. So, I already set limitations. I never brought another lens with me when I was shooting for me. all those lenses were really for client shoots at the time. So why, you know, then once I was not shooting for clients anymore, I had no use for it and this camera had everything I needed, And this would be, it is actually the camera that I took to Iceland. Even I had everything else ready. I just, that was just before I sold my kit. I went to Iceland for a few days on my way to France. And, uh, I had the 7200, the 2470, I don't know, in the bag, and that, and I had just received the X100S, and I wasn't so familiar with it, yet, at the last moment, on my, just before leaving for the airport, I left the, uh, purposely left the Canon kit behind and left with just the X 100 S. And I really do believe, that summer I made a big jump in my photography because of those limitations. I mean, it was a little nerve wracking. At first, sure. And I know a lot of people can relate to this and I see photographers coming on workshops with not so much anymore. Most people will just have a very small, kit now with just one or two primes or a camera like mine that you can't even remove the lens. But, for several years, I saw photographers with so much gear on workshops and every time I'd say, no, you leave. Just get, take that prime, leave everything else behind for the day. And I, I could tell they were like, you know, they're going to have that anxiety. But once you feel good about that decision, wow, it's so liberating. So liberating. So any kind of limitations you can set will make you a better. better photographer, no matter what. So, and I, now I don't even, I haven't shot a raw file in nine years. So,

Raymond Hatfield:

it's a great feeling. Now, I understand, the whole giving yourself some sort of limitation. And I know that some people are gonna, as you said, feel weary about, going out and actually trying this, but, do we tackle the question of like, well, what if you missed a shot? because you have that wrong lens, like, what do you do?

Valerie Jardin:

No, no, no, it's never the, well, if you missed the shot, it's your fault. It's the photographer. Well, then if you miss the shot, It's never the gear's fault, first of all. Why were you trying to get that shot if you had the wrong lens on? That's my question. Uh, so you learn to see with what you have and, I'm not gonna try to capture a bald eagle. in flight with my X 100 V at 23 millimeter, obviously, but that's not what interests me. I love to see the bald eagles flying over my house every day, but I don't need to photograph them. So you find the kit that works for you. And so the limitations of also in a body of work, I think having the consistency of a focal length is quite nice versus, all this was shot at 200 and this was shot at 200. 18 and it's kind of like, you know, I think a body of work steady focal length looks much nicer and limiting yourself. Will make you work a little harder to and if you work a little harder before you press the shutter, you will become a better photographer. Same with setting limitations of, limiting your time online, whatever you do, in post process, I mean, not online, but in post processing, whatever you do in post processing is not going to make you a better photographer. It's the decision you make before you press the shutter that are going to make you a better photographer. And so limitations will help you do that just like limiting yourself to a certain number of frames for the day. Make every shutter click count will yield good results. better results. I'm not telling people go shoot film, although a lot of people are still or discovering film. But when we were shooting film, we made every shutter click count because it was actually a price tag attached to every shutter click, when we bring the rolls to the lab. So, we were better photographers. Definitely. So I find that now with digital, people have a much faster learning curve because they can shoot a lot more without having to worry about, having roles of film process. But then once they get to a certain level, then they kind of stall. and the reason why they stall because they're used to that unlimited shutter click count. And they shoot, shoot, shoot. Well, if you take the spray and pray approach, you're never going to improve. So limiting yourself in any ways, is going to be beneficial. I'm not saying do that when you work for a client, obviously, but when you shoot for yourself, it's so beneficial. So there's so many ways to limit yourselves to.

Raymond Hatfield:

love that idea right there. Just limiting how many frames you can take in a day, even though it's not like it's one of those things where I feel like a lot of people are looking for like the answer for something, right? Like, how do I do X with Y or whatever? And yours is more of a, your approach right there. Just limit the amount of frames that you take is a little bit more cerebral, it causes you to think a little bit more. It's not as step one, step two, step three, but when it comes to the gear, obviously for you, choosing the X 100 V, just having a single focal length and then just working around it, that works. But I know that, say a lot of listeners right now, maybe they have that rebel, maybe they have the entry level DSLR and maybe they do have a few lenses. How do we be more purposeful with the gear that we choose when we decide to go out and shoot without having to take everything that we own.

Valerie Jardin:

Yeah. Well, I think, depending on what people shoot, obviously, I mean, you probably have nature photographers and bird photographers. So, I mean, there are genres of photography where you will need more, more gear than other for sure. But just to for everyday photography, try to just limit yourself to a prime lens. And if you don't have one, just don't zoom your zoom, you know, set it on 60 or 30 or whatever, just use it and see what's the sweet spot for you? What works for you? I think we all have a certain focal length vision. lot of people just haven't found it. I really thought when I started photography, I thought I was a telephoto photographer. I love, well, I did a lot of wildlife early on because I'm in Minnesota and, you know, it's wolf country and. So that was my first draw to photography. I wanted to be a wildlife photographer. I didn't realize that you can't do that with kids , so probably not advised. No. No. And then I would, I loved my Zoom lenses. I haven't used a zoom lens for so long now. I wouldn't even know what to do with it. So, I find that we're much faster, on our feet, especially with street photography where it's. It's all a matter of capturing that fraction of a second that's never happened before and will never happen again. So you really have to put the chances on your side and learning to see in a focal length will definitely, yield better results.

Raymond Hatfield:

I remember when I first started, I was the opposite. I really loved those really wide photos because I thought, well, that's something that, people can't get with most because at the time, you know, just like point and shoot cameras They started at like 40 millimeters or something, whatever it was and I really liked that wide aspect but for me, it was so difficult to really tell a compelling story. It was such a wide frame consistently and then that's when I started to move in so similar story there, but I know that you know some people are listening right now. And I think when oftentimes new photographers are looking for gear suggestions, right? Should I buy X camera? Should I buy Y camera? In my mind, the answer is you're never going to be upset, right? If you go with the level up, right? If you go with the better one, despite the price, despite all these things, you're never going to be upset if you go with that. And I'm sure that some people are saying, okay, like I hear you about this one camera, one lens thing, but what am I losing by bringing more gear. What do you say to that?

Valerie Jardin:

Well, you just have to first realize that no matter how cheap or expensive your camera is, it doesn't make the picture. And see so many amazing photographs shot with the ultimate limitations. Well, although phones are not that limiting anymore, but you know, Yeah, they're pretty good, but just a few years back, people just shooting with their phone all day, you know, that's one focal length and just using it just, you know, without all the new apps and everything. That was so many and producing great work. A good photographer should produce great work with a disposable camera. The camera really won't matter. And it's fine. I've never had gear lust. I mean, when Fujifilm asked me if I wanted, a GFX, I'm like, what would I do with a GFX? I have no use for it. Thank you, but I don't need one. I need two of the X100V, however, because I need, I need a backup. So, I never had gear loss and I think it's a, it's a good thing. I also think that the often the best visual storytellers don't care about gear so much, they find the kit that works for them and then they stick with it forever. I don't test camp. I don't test gear for Fujifilm very much. the X 100. Yes. I usually do, uh, the beta test and, uh, things like that, because that's kind of my camera, but I kind of resist it. I'm like. Every time they need beta tester. I'm kind of like hiding like, no, don't ask me. I don't want to do this. Cause I find it so counterproductive to your creativity to try new gear. So you have to, get used to it and you're going to miss a lot of shots at first. So, find something that fits you and stick with it. No one has ever, has ever used their cameras to their full potential. I can guarantee you that people upgrade for no reason. and it's fine if, if having, the little red dot on your camera gets you out the door more, then yeah, you, you'll probably become a better photographer. that's the only time that, gear will make you a better photographer is if it takes you out more. So, whatever it is. So if it's a, I find that people often spend money on gear versus experience or travel or, education. And I think that's a shame because the gear is, is never going to make them better photographers. Never. Not in a million years, whereas experience and education will.

Raymond Hatfield:

as you know, as a, interviewing many photographers, I love hearing everybody's different perspectives on things. and I love hearing when other photographers talk about the X 100 V because it is, I feel very similar in the sense that like the gear doesn't matter, but I wrestle with this idea of like, wow, I just spent Mike. 1, 600 on a camera, but the gear, but the gear doesn't matter. Like I tell people that the gear doesn't matter, but I just spent, you know, a good amount of money on this camera for saying that the gear doesn't matter. That's all you

Valerie Jardin:

have. That's not a huge investment.

Raymond Hatfield:

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. That's absolutely true. That's not just, especially if you're, if you're a working photographer and it's something that like, you really want to do and even, even as a hobbyist, and I think that we all know that when it comes to the gear, at least photographers who have been shooting for a while, it's like the higher end gear doesn't take better photos. I think it just gets out of the way more.

Valerie Jardin:

Absolutely. Absolutely. It

Raymond Hatfield:

allows you to take photos easier. It kind of blurs that line between what you see in your head and being able to capture that image. Whereas for some reason, I don't, I don't know why it doesn't make sense to me, but like the more entry level gear is more confusing. It's smaller, there's less buttons. You have to figure out where things go. I don't know. I guess that's just how I rationalize these things. Yeah, I don't know. I

Valerie Jardin:

can't tell you because I'm so used to just the one camera. Um, I mean, I have right now I have a, another one because I wanted to use the lens baby lenses, which are really fun. I mean, I think that's something everybody should try. if they're in a rut or something, just get a lens baby. They're so challenging, cause it's all manual. It's all letting go of sharpness because nothing will ever be sharp. And just embracing this amazing creative softness. And camera, is amazing. So I have an XT 30, I think, that I'm borrowing from Fuji right now because I wanted something small to put the lens babies on and, uh, it's kind of fun, but I'm only using it for that. have some other Fuji lenses that I that are just sitting and collecting dust because I'm I just I always come back to that x 100 at 23 Yeah,

Raymond Hatfield:

yeah, yeah. you're out shooting, let's get back to street photography. When you're not shooting, this is something that I think about a lot. And the whole world just like, it's not working that day. people are, are, you know, you're expecting something, they go in a different direction, and the light poor. It just doesn't seem to be working. What do you do in those situations? Do you hang up your camera and walk away? Or do you try to make it work?

Valerie Jardin:

I never think that way. first of all, there is no bad light. You have to make the light work for you. There's no bad light. They're only bad photographers, just to remind my students. And so I love it. I mean, I, I love rain. I love fog. I love snow. I love bright, harsh, bright sunlight, harsh shadows. the street photographer never rests basically because yeah, we like the golden light. but. That's kind of easy and boring. We like the challenge. So we're out all day. even at night, we shoot at night. So, there is never a bad moment. yes, there are times where you just don't get in the zone and things don't go your way, but I always remind my student that even if you miss the shot, I hear that on workshops a lot. It's like, Oh, I just saw that. Oh my gosh. I just saw this amazing thing happening. Those two, the couple was kissing and it would have been so amazing, but I missed it. I'm like, no, you didn't miss it. You didn't get the picture, but you saw it, which is more than everybody else, because most people look, but they don't see. And so just. So they learn something. I'm driving, I can't take pictures when I'm driving, but if I'm driving, I make pictures in my head all the time. Like, I'll see light or I'll be stopped at a stoplight and I see somebody walking through a shaft of light downtown and I'm like, oh, there's such a great photograph. so you see and you learn. You see and you learn and even if I'm waiting behind a car in traffic, I will look at the back, the back of that ugly rusty car and say, how would I make a compelling frame of that ugly car? And so you always thinking in terms of framing a shot. And so, so you're always learning. I don't remember what your question was, but

Raymond Hatfield:

bad day work for you. You answered it right there. Just

Valerie Jardin:

just enjoy the moment. And especially if you are a street photographer, just being up there and having the privilege to see the beauty of in the everyday is amazing. And to be to be alive is amazing. So it's never a bad day.

Raymond Hatfield:

Valerie, I don't know how to edit any better than that. Uh, it was definitely a high note. Valerie, before I let you go, can you let all the listeners know where we can keep up with you, follow you along online and see some of your work?

Valerie Jardin:

well, Valerie Jardin, so that's V A L E R I E J A R D I N. You can, they Google my name, they'll find me. and that's valeriejardin. com or valeriejardinphotography. com. Both will bring you to my website. And from there, you'll find me also under the same name on Instagram. I'm only on Instagram now. So it's kind of nice. I, I quit Facebook a long time ago, never looked back. And so Instagram and then Twitter. But I rarely post pictures on Twitter.

Raymond Hatfield:

I really hope that you enjoyed today's interview. Be sure to download your free photography action plan that is packed with key takeaways from today's interview. And this is not just like a summary, it is a step by step guide to becoming a better photographer. So grab your copy now by joining the private and free beginner photography podcast community. where you can connect with me and other listeners to share your thoughts, share photos, and ask questions over at beginnerphotopod. com forward slash group. Again, that's beginnerphotopod. com forward slash group. Remember every click of your camera shutter is a new opportunity. And through the lens of possibility, you can envision your next photo. So stay inspired and I'll talk to you soon.

Valerie Jardin:

Thank you for listening to the beginner photography podcast. Keep shooting and we'll see you next week.