As I approach my 1st year in business this month, I could not help but look back on this whole journey of photography. The whole process of going from novice to hobbyist to professional has been long. I dug up old shots, old photos to compare and contrast how far I've been. This blog entry is a walk down memory lane, and to share a little bit of what I've learned in the past almost 4 years. Like everyone who first got their DSLR from that shiny big box, everyone takes a photo that looks like this. (As horribly exposed this is to flash, I can't help but go aww to my then 1 year old. Is he really almost 4? Jeeze!)
Then I got a tip from a friend that there's this thing called RAW photo format, and that I should try doing that. I fiddled with my camera, found the right settings and bam, RAW format. you and I are in business. Also, within a week of getting my camera, I was also advised to buy this lens called the nifty fifty aka as the 50mm f/1.8. So then I really thought I was getting good by turning off my on-camera flash and then taking photos like this. I also discovered that wonderful word "bokeh." I question myself to this day if I'm pronouncing it the right way.
I used to just leave pictures be, not edit them much but brighten them up just a wee bit. I had no idea how to use anything but the basics of photoshop. It was confusing to me. It was like staring at an algebra equation for hours. It left me frustrated. Honestly, I left photoshop alone for a year because it got overwhelming. I only dealt with photoshop when another friend of mine introduced me to Photoshop Elements 7. I tried editing my own but couldn't really figure it out. I found out about actions but since I was just learning, I just downloaded free ones off the internet. Sometimes the free ones had decent results:
Umm... sometimes, not so very decent.
I confess, I was also the victim of the horrible heavy black vignette, and oh my God, why did I make my son look green. Green? Really? I think I forgive myself a little more for the vignette than I would forgive myself for making my son look like he's turning into the incredible hulk in a few seconds. But you know, these bad edits, they're part of the whole learning process. It's part of the struggles and the triumphs. A good eye gets developed, and mistakes get recognized, but it all goes back to what we all learned as kids --- practice. It really does make perfect.
It takes a lot of practice to go from what's on the left, to what's on the right.
And there are also really patient friends that help friends like me along the way and let me find my photography legs.
to help me to produce images like this
I read somewhere one time where the first 10,000 shots you take with your camera will be the worst ones. That couldn't even be any more truer. Those first 10,000 will be a myriad of out of focus, blurry and badly lit pictures. Does it get better after 10,001? Nope, it's a continuing learning process. Everyday there's something to learn. I learned by reading a lot of articles, blog entries, countless tips and what not. To this day, on an almost daily basis, I read on what other photographers have to say about their business, about their art.
If photography is your passion, educate yourself. Your passion will not transform to anything if you don't open your eyes up to education. Don't settle for what you already know. What you know now may change later, and also, your knowledge now doesn't exactly mean it's the best. I know that first hand, c'mon, I made my child green. If you're stuck on settling, you make no room for change and skill improvement, which doesn't leave any room for growing and learning. Give yourself time to be a novice, give yourself time to be a hobbyist, then educate again about how to be a professional. It's a skill that takes years to develop, not months. I really enjoyed it a lot when I was beginning because I captured a lot of my life, my son, my food. I also love being a professional but finding that balance, I'm still trying to figure it out. I want to make sure that my son doesn't fall with the saying "the cobbler's children go barefoot." I still wouldn't trade where I'm at now with anything else. Heck, I really love working for myself, but I also love all the clients, the families, the people that I have met.
Photography is art that involves a lot of business. I survive the business side of this art because I went to school for Business Management. If you don't have a business background, take a class from your local community college or even attend a seminar or two. It's such a vital part of any business, to learn something as simple as incoming money and outgoing money. Your photography business will only grow if you learn how to balance the books, learn all the legalities on how to run a proper business (remember, Uncle Sam knows how to find anyone) and always strive for great customer service.
Another thing is to know that there is always someone newer than you, better than you, have worse equipment and have better equipment than you. One of my favorite things I came across during the many blog reading I've done is the story of a photographer that went to a fancy dinner. The host mentioned how nice his camera is, and that it must take great pictures. After dinner, he thanked the host and then mentioned how delicious dinner was, she must have a great stove. It's not your equipment that makes you a great photographer, it's how you learn to use what you have. Manual shooting is the best, words like f stop, aperture, exposure and ISO matter. Get to know your camera, make it your new best friend, and seriously, don't jump in to business within a month of owning it. Treat your camera like you're dating it, you'd want to get to know them first before marrying them. Business is a marriage. It really is, The past few months taught me how in my house, I had three relationships: my husband, my son and my business.
Respect the other professionals, don't step on their toes because they will be your greatest ally to education. How? Don't be afraid to ask them questions. Majority of them would more than love for a beginner to ask questions and get proper answers. I still do that to this day and I cannot even thank enough the more experienced photographer friends of mine that have helped me through the way and have introduced to many things that have changed my life.
This blog entry is to not say that I know everything now, because I don't, not even a fraction of it. It's just really a progress report if anything. It's nice to see how far I've gone and how much more I have to go through. I've made my mistakes with the business and the art and the technical process of it, I strive to learn more about it. I've been rejected and also been praised and tears of both happiness and sadness have strengthened me. Now, let's see where else this journey takes me. I'm currently learning flash. It's fun and very different from natural light, complete opposite, really. Here goes to another year of learning!
Flash No Flash
Oh boy, there's so much more to learn!!!
