For a very long time I didn't consider myself a photographer, even to this day, when people ask if I am a photographer, I don't really know what to say. I started just saying yes, because I've been paid to take and edit pictures. I take decent pictures and I'm always capturing more, this I assume is the definition of a photographer.In art school I had one photography class, at which point I was completely uninterested in picture taking. I had friends studying photography specifically; how do I expect to be at the same level of these full time photographers with one class. I always thought photography is for photographers, and I am not one of those. This kind of thinking limited me for a long time.
I had basic knowledge of photography: shutter speed, f-stops, exposure time and framing. So to consider myself a non-photographer was only making me a non-photographer. My go-to line was, “I know how to use a professional camera, I take decent pictures, but I'm not a photographer.” This was all before...before I got a full-time job in the cosmetic industry...before I had a camera, studio and lights at my disposal...before I knew that being able to take my own pictures would be an incredible asset.
It started with one slow day at work... I learned through trial and error how to take product pictures, how to set up the lighting; I even took portraits for the executives. Up to this day I still consider myself an amateur photographer, but nonetheless I am a photographer, and since then, I have successfully delved into the world of video and meddled in animation.
I always say that the difference between good and great is practice, and that is what I do every time I pick up the camera. I have seen this work many times, with my designing, painting, driving and call of duty. In every aspect of my life, the more I do something, the better I am at it. By saying I am not something and not attempt it, I am only limiting myself. The reality is, I am everything, all I have to do, is to do.
Strangers ask me for photography advice, I now teach Photoshop and I have my own studio. Three years ago I would have never thought I would be so invested in something I always thought I would never be good at.
Since the beginning of this photography endeavor I have always been more comfortable in the studio, maybe it's because it's where I first got to experiment; I have a strange love for setting up my studio space, whether it be for product or people, my understanding of lighting has helped me use whatever I have available to help me achieve what I want. You should know that, no one is born with these skills, everyone is born with potential and it is all up to you to turn that potential into something.
Refusing to try something new because it’s, “not in your job description”, or because you, “have never done it before” are poor excuses. This kind of attitude does not promote growth. Of course, there is always a limit. You should always be compensated for your work, if not with experience, then financially. But, refusing to try, lack of self belief and drive is what differentiates the greats from the mediocre, the photographers from the photographees, the dreamers from the dream.
It started with one slow day at work... I learned through trial and error how to take product pictures, how to set up the lighting; I even took portraits for the executives. Up to this day I still consider myself an amateur photographer, but nonetheless I am a photographer, and since then, I have successfully delved into the world of video and meddled in animation.
I always say that the difference between good and great is practice, and that is what I do every time I pick up the camera. I have seen this work many times, with my designing, painting, driving and call of duty. In every aspect of my life, the more I do something, the better I am at it. By saying I am not something and not attempt it, I am only limiting myself. The reality is, I am everything, all I have to do, is to do.
Strangers ask me for photography advice, I now teach Photoshop and I have my own studio. Three years ago I would have never thought I would be so invested in something I always thought I would never be good at.
Since the beginning of this photography endeavor I have always been more comfortable in the studio, maybe it's because it's where I first got to experiment; I have a strange love for setting up my studio space, whether it be for product or people, my understanding of lighting has helped me use whatever I have available to help me achieve what I want. You should know that, no one is born with these skills, everyone is born with potential and it is all up to you to turn that potential into something.Refusing to try something new because it’s, “not in your job description”, or because you, “have never done it before” are poor excuses. This kind of attitude does not promote growth. Of course, there is always a limit. You should always be compensated for your work, if not with experience, then financially. But, refusing to try, lack of self belief and drive is what differentiates the greats from the mediocre, the photographers from the photographees, the dreamers from the dream.
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