u/ResponsibleFuture946

I’m about a year and a half into my photography journey, and honestly, I feel like I haven’t really gotten very far. I’m still taking photos for my high school, which I don’t mind, but I feel like I should be progressing more by now. I think a big part of it is that I struggle with talking to people (speech). Whenever Im in a conversation, it gets awkward at a point and I just don’t really know what to say. i know someone who isn’t as good as me at photography, but he’s really outgoing and talks to everyone, and because of that he’s gotten opportunities like a pass to an MLS Next game. I also have a stutter, which makes it even harder sometimes. Does anyone have advice or recommendations on how to improve communication and feel more comfortable talking to people, especially in photography situations (like convincing people) ? Aswell as improving confidence.

I’m still early in my photography journey and trying to improve. I’ve been shooting almost all of our school events, and now I feel like I’m hitting that point where I want to go up a level (college).

I think after all my photo shoots, I've built a decent portfolio, I just finished my website, and I'm going to start cold emailing athletes and companies.

For people who are further along, what actually helped you the most in growing as a photographer?