The art of finding my flow
Every photographer has that “aha!” moment in their career. Me? I’ve had about 90…and I’ve only been in business for a year. We go back and forth because of style changes or circumstance. Excitement makes way for new ideas, and maybe we swing from one style to another to the extreme.
I started with “I’ll shoot whatever” in my mind. Then came all the advice videos and blogs. The vlogs. Oh, the vlogs. Every photographer has an opinion on how you should run your business, and many of these “vloggers” want you to pay them to teach you what your niche should be, and why it’s important to stick to one singular thing.
Blah, blah, blah.
That type of “training” can seriously confuse and destroy new photographers. As soon as you publish your business Facebook page, you’re inundated with ads from companies that swear they can make you $40k per month. All you have to do is grab that credit card and pay $5k.
If you’re lucky enough not to fall for the scams, you then find the “free” classes and tutorials. You are once again pressured via email and ads to buy their extended classes. You’re used to it by now, so you just keep trudging away and grasping at any advice you can find. Some of it is solid gold. Others fall flat.
One that has stuck out to me as being the most beneficial for the light and airy look in outdoor portraits is Kaitlyn James. She’s been in the business for a long time. Don’t get me wrong, her company sends waayyyy too many emails, BUT, she has fantastic videos on lighting, camera settings, and positioning. Her videos are where I really started to get a handle on the flowing art of outdoor sessions.
One of my VERY first outdoor photo shoots as an amateur photographer in 2017. Terrible, right? (This was an outtake with my son and his Godfather. But still.)
As you can see from the image above, I way over exposed their faces and had to edit the crap out of all these images. The shoot was actually my close friend and his parents. And his dog. Here is another one-
Seriously over edited. Do you see that forehead?! At the time, I thought I did pretty decent. Knowing what I know today, I would have done a very different style. But, that’s how we learn!
I thank God every day that I have friends and family who have always been willing to let me learn with them as my subjects.
Here is an outdoor shot from when I first got serious about this-
I’m actually genuinely happy with this image. When I took a look at the camera after snapping it, I may or may not have squealed. This was very soon after I invested in my current camera body and a “kit” lens. That lens saw my first wedding, first Fresh 48, and so many others.
You can see my style and circumstances changing-
This may seem like an image you’d NEVER want to give to a client, BUT, this little boy is autistic, and looked right at me during our shoot. That’s a huge win.
It hasn’t been an immediate improvement in my skills. I’m definitely still learning. I’ll give a PRIME example of what better quality equipment and experience does for a new photographer-
Kash at his 1 month shoot. So, 8 months ago.
Kash yesterday at his 9 month shoot.
There is HUGE growth between those two photos. Looking back, I find it both embarrassing and fascinating that anyone would pay me for images when I started out.
I am beyond grateful that I’m able to learn all of the techniques that will keep making me better. I’m gaining experience with everything from boudoir, to infants and everything in between. Until I’ve perfected my skills, I need to keep an open mind about what I shoot.
Here is my first infant shoot comparison-
Cute, but again, the lighting is all wrong. Her chin is tucked way down and her wrap is loose.
The most recent. Decent, but the face needs to be facing the light more, and the image is too warm.
Again, what I feel is big growth. But I am aiming for consistency and accuracy when shooting. Some infant photographers would be content with the last image, but I’m not. I spend most nights researching and writing out new and different techniques. Why? Because I’m obsessed with becoming the best I can be. I KNOW I will be an amazing photographer because I have the drive and desire.
It’s been such a crazy journey so far. As I sit here on this snowy February morning, I’m excited for things to come, but especially the spring.
There is growth there, too. 🌷