In photography, there are the skills you know you need, and then there are the skills you don’t think you’ll ever use. In episode 545 of the podcast, I spin up the idea that you should spend some time learning or dipping your toes into an area that you don’t normally focus on in your work.
It’s easy to stay in the lane of what feels comfortable: the camera settings you know, the type of light you always shoot in, the subjects you naturally gravitate toward. But the truth is, the most growth often comes from learning skills that at first seem unnecessary. Those are the extra arrows in your quiver, you know the ones you don’t reach for every day, but when the moment comes, you’re glad they’re there.
Take lighting, for example. Even if you primarily work with natural light, taking a class on artificial lighting gives you a deeper understanding of how light behaves. That knowledge doesn’t just stay in the studio—it makes you better at reading and shaping the light outdoors, too. Or think about portraiture. You may not consider yourself a portrait photographer, but studying gesture, posture, and posing can help you tell stronger stories in landscapes, street scenes, and documentary work. The same goes for history of photography. By immersing yourself in the photographs, movements, and ideas that came before, it can add to your inspiration and help you see your own work in a broader context.
After 15 minutes, I hope you see that the more arrows you carry, the more prepared you are for whatever shows up in front of the camera.