Video: Steve Hanson on Photography, Business and Life

Last month, Steve Hanson had the honor of giving the commencement address at his alma mater, Bowling Green State University. He started his career as a photojournalist, and over the years, he says, “I’ve learned that some of the important tips for being a good photographer also hold true for life.” In his address, he highlighted seven principles of photography, business and life:

• Find your own angle: Don’t fight the crowd to do what everyone else is doing.
• Expect conditions to change:  Put your focus not on where your subject is now, but where it will be in the near future.
• Be prepared to take a lot of shots: Great photographers know the more they shoot, the better their chances.
• Don’t go through life with a telephoto lens: If you’re too focused on the future, you may miss your present.
• Put people in their best light: A great photographer, and a great leader, learns how to bring out the best in people.
• Use the negatives to develop: When the opposite of what you want happens, remember that it might be a necessary step in the process.
• Keep your album up to date: Own your past and learn from it, but don’t be defined by it.

It was natural that his address would take the form of a slideshow, illustrating each of these principles with photos from his own albums. This video of his address includes the slides so you can get the full experience.

Go, Falcons!

Steve Hanson on Photography, Business and Life from Hanson Inc. on Vimeo.