Note: Photographers’ Friday is a weekly blog series directed toward professional photographers, and in some instances, serious amateur photographers. All Photographers’ Friday blog posts will assume that readers have a basic working knowledge of digital SLR cameras, but if you’re left with questions or don’t understand any of the information, don’t hesitate to ask. We love e-mails!

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When I was young and my mom was homeschooling my brother and me, she would often say that it’s a shame kids are the ones who go to school — adults would appreciate and enjoy it so much more. Learning is something a lot of people grow into loving. I’ve enjoyed learning since I was pretty tiny, especially when math involved playing games over the dining table with my father or my aunt or going on field trips with my “class” — my mom and brother. Now that I’m a grown up (don’t quote me on that one), I understand what my mom meant, though. I do appreciate learning more. More aspects of life and the world are appealing to me. I want to learn.

That’s especially true when it comes to things related to photography and running a business. That’s kind of my life right now. So I love learning how to do more, how to do it better. Which brings me to the topic of California. . . .

We’re in California! We touched down yesterday around noon, and after a few days exploring Southern California, we’ll be spending several more days just hanging out with other photographers, learning from them and sharing with them, in Santa Barbara at Showit United. The very best way to learn, we figure, is from the very best. Some of the very best will be at United. So here we are.

When it comes to your camera and your business, don’t ever stop pushing yourself to learn. Don’t ever decide you’re “good enough.” Don’t ever get so caught up in the busyness of your work that you can’t push yourself to grow deeper, to hone your craft more carefully, to rework your business model into a finely tuned machine that purrs along for both you and your clients. You don’t have to come to Showit United, or WPPI next month in Las Vegas (we’re skipping WPPI ourselves but hope to make it one of these years!), but there really is no excuse to ever stop learning. With so many resources available online, for free — creativeLIVE, Fstoppers, Strobist, [F] Network, and hundreds of excellent personal photography blogs — the knowledge you need is truly at your fingertips.

So reach for it. You’ll only learn if you look for it. You pushed yourself to leave shooting in auto mode behind — so why not push yourself further, one step at a time?

~ Laura