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I could easily sit here and write about covid as a challenge for preventing me from getting where I want to be. I mean it is a slight setback, but I’m really the only one holding myself back.
When I was young, I thought I had all the time in the world. I went far in photography school, I didn’t finish, but I was confident in my skill. My plan was to go to Paris and become a fashion photographer before I turned 30. Along the way, I got lost in traveling. That became the priority. Doing whatever job I could to live abroad. I never really thought I could do both.
My family and I moved to Sri Lanka in 2018. I had hoped we could stay. My husband wanted to return to Canada a year later, so we did. Once we returned, I decided to do everything I could to become a fashion photographer once and for all. Anything related to photography I was going to do. I realized how many missed or almost opportunities I’ve had over the years and that wasn’t going to happen anymore. That summer, facebook sent me an ad to a photography workshop, so I said yes and bought a ticket. We got to shoot different scenes and compete against other photography teams. We got to test out new gear and meet lots of photographers. I told myself I needed to find out how I could start out as an assistant. So, I got brave and asked a photographer. He said sometimes he can have people on set if he knows the client well. So, I contacted him and I got to go on a couple of shoots. It had been a long time since I used strobes and lights and got a little down. I didn’t want to move backwards, but thought it would be best to go back to school, finish and brush up on my lighting skills. Covid hit part way through my first term. It’s now been a year since I’ve used lights, been in a studio and had models to shoot. I’m still doing classes online, just patiently and impatiently waiting on the day I can be back in studio using lights.
Wow, I didn’t mean to do such a back story on my challenges. So here it is, if you haven’t already figured it out, my greatest challenge is that I never feel like I’m ready or good enough for someone to hire me. I am really trying to overcome this. I’m full of excuses too. I’ve never made a website because I didn’t think my photos were good enough. I’ve never tried assisting, because I feel like I need to perfect my lighting. I don’t have enough money to hire models for my portfolio. I don’t have money for equipment rentals. So many excuses, I could go on.
Step one- just build a website, get it out there. DONE!
I am still holding back on SEO because I want to take advanced lighting again or Assistant Photography class before I market myself as an assistant. I know, start now!
Step two – video blog about how to become a fashion photographer with no connections just straight out of school – NEED TO START
Step three – call photographers in my area that I admire and see if they need an assistant
Step four – save up to hire models. I have notebooks full of ideas for fashion shoots. I am currently setting aside money to save up for this, I’m hoping to have enough by the time covid is over.
Step five – Learn to do all without money. You know the old saying, a camera is just a box with a hole in it. That is all you need.
I went out with a plan. I had two pieces of fabric. I even did a test shot in the bedroom shooting through the fabric at a table lamp. It looked pretty cool. I thought I could go for a walk with my camera and shoot some neat things. Instead I got lost in garbage not two steps from my door. Yup garbage. There was a mountain of clearish white plastic containers piled up/falling over. They were wet from rain and made an excellent subject. I thought move on, Chimene, this isn’t what we came to do. I walked to the end of the alley and liked the lines and the park in the distance and the two garbage bins in the foreground. I decided, I wasn’t going to get around shooting garbage today, so I carried on. More lines, more garbage…ok it was time to shoot the fabric. Nothing seemed right or good. Then it started raining. I figured it was time to give up and go home. All in all my shoot wasn’t a complete failure. I got some great shots of garbage and I figured out what doesn’t work with my fabrics so I can try again. Perhaps on a sunny day. I am still excited about my fabric idea.
-2 Days Later-
Ok, so my garbage shots were just ok. I went out to shoot today. I had nothing in mind except the sun was out and the shadows were long. I wanted to go out and chase some shadows. I crossed the street from my apartment, and yup, you guessed it garbage. (I shouldn’t have written about garbage, now it’s all I see hahaha) I had another day of garbage, but these shots I like. Wanna see my garbage?
If you are like me, hungry for as much information on photography as possible, this blog’s for you!
Photography junk email is my favorite. It’s not like anyone gets a heartfelt email from a friend anymore, so this is the next best thing. It’s something you sign up for that you don’t have to unsubscribe to. And it’s amazing what other “junk” mail you get from it as well. For example, I subscribe to Jerry Ghionis. If you dont’ know him, he’s a famous wedding photographer. Now, I decided a long time ago wedding photography wasn’t for me, but Jerry is constantly putting out free and paid photography classes and tips and live feeds to photoshoots, not to mention he’s an amazing photographer known for his natural light photography. Anyway, because I’m signed up for him, I randomly got an invitation from Paul’s Photo (I think it’s a photography store somewhere in California) to listen to Joe McNally and Jerry Ghionis talk about photography. I mean how great is that? Here is his link Jerry Ghionis Photography Training
Next on my list is PhotoShelter: Photography Websites & Tools for Photographers | PhotoShelter
Now, yes, it is a place where you can host your website, but they also have a ton of resources. And just for subscribing to their mail list, I get invited to a zoom meetings with guest speakers. The last Zoom meeting was a two-parter all about how to get high paying clients in food photography and, how to quote on the job and then how to shoot the job. It was exactly what I was learning in school at the time. I can’t wait for their next guest speaker.
Fstoppers – Photography News and Community for Creative Professionals This one says it all in the title. There is a ton of great information provided by Fstoppers. They have contests and tutorials as well. Check them out!
Lastly, Phlearn The #1 Photoshop, Lightroom, and Photography Tutorials Website Online (phlearn.com) I actually have a paid membership to Phlearn. They are great. They also have a lot of free information out there. You can just look up how to do something in photoshop on youtube and Phlearn pops up. I’m finally learning how to use lightroom in school, I’m not quite sold on it yet, but I am excited to try out my Phlearn training once I’m comfortable with it. For now I use it for photoshop. With the membership, you can download all their presets.