By Bruna Mentrup-Nortje
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November 18, 2021
A mentor acts as an advisor to a less experienced individual, known as their mentee. Typically, individuals seek mentors who work in their same or desired field. The mentor helps this individual grow and develop as a professional, often offering advice based on their more advanced knowledge or experience. Mentorship for me is a relationship built through networking, personal connections or formal mentorship programs. A mentor can help focus their efforts by setting goals and giving feedback. Most successful photographers have many people who help them and whom they help. A successful mentor will likely have the experience and confidence you may need to help you to accomplish your ambitions. Mentors help expand your vision, help you see new possibilities for action, help increase your knowledge and skills in photography. Mentors can also share the mistakes they made along their journeys. The mentee benefits because they learn lessons about the mistakes' negative impacts but do not have to suffer the consequences themselves. Learning about these experiences can also help prepare the mentee for the challenges they can expect to face and provide demonstrable advice on how to overcome them.