Growth
Last week, I wrote about some of my favorite photos I've taken over the years. I was able to reflect a lot on how my work as improved and changed as well. I think every photographer starts out at a pretty base level, and we have to learn what style we like to edit in, how to set up good shots, and what we even like to photograph the most!
For me, I have always known what kind of photography I want to specialize in. I love working with animals the most I think, just because of how dynamic they can be! I can pose people so easily, because they understand what is happening. Animals tend to do what they want, which can prove difficult at times, but it makes those sessions even more unique and fun because of that unpredictability. Of course, capturing special moments in general is always fun! I have enjoyed working with seniors and showcasing their achievements through photography.
What took a long time, and something I still work on, is finding the style I most enjoy editing in. When I started out, I liked dark and moody images. I relied heavily on presets in Lightroom as well, and I would adjust other settings from there. Only in the last year or two have I transitioned to editing more light, vibrant and warm. I think that the "rustic" vibe is amazing, and it works so well with just about any photo session.
This is a photo I edited with the "dark and moody" style like I mentioned. I love this image! I still love this style, even. I think over time though I have just become more accustomed to a lighter and brighter editing style.
I think what got me more interested in exploring lighter and brighter editing was photographing a county fair. I loved that you could just see more detail over all and I think it just looked a lot more clear.
These are a few examples of my most recent editing style. I love how these are light, bright and clear, yet they retain a bit of moodiness still. These are great examples of that "rustic" look where you get a lot of warm tones, but it doesn't feel too overpowering. I never want a photo to be too yellow.
Quality
The other main topic I want to touch on is quality! If you talk to any photographer, I would be willing to bet they have photos they took early on they are not the proudest of. Whether it be the over all image quality, the cropping wasn't quite right, or maybe they over edited, we all have work we would've liked to have improved on!
This was at a market I photographed around 2 years ago, and let me tell you, I didn't really want to post this, to be honest. But let's dive into a critique. I hate how blue this is. Maybe that is just my opinion, but I really don't love how cool I made this. I also was using my first camera I got, which was not as high of quality as I use now. The photo itself is a smidge out of focus also. I also wish I would've cropped the photo better to highlight the singer. I think this had potential to be a really cool photo, but looking back all I can see are the flaws. This is what makes us improve, though, and I can appreciate that I can look back on past work and critique it, and be able to recognize how far I have come in this journey.
This is a photo from my most recent photo session, that I am proud of! I love my new found editing style, and I think it suited this session very well as it was on the farm and has a rustic feel anyway. I have learned a lot about posing my clients as well! This image was a spur of the moment thing as well. The clients fed the cattle at the "end" of our session, but I couldn't resist taking some final images by the feed bunk. I am so glad we did this because this image ended up being one of my favorites from this session.
Overall, my photography journey has been a blast. I get just as excited now as I did when I began taking clients every time I get a new booking. I love expanding my portfolio, gaining new experiences and interacting with new people. I am always learning new things.
I know that in only a few short years from now I will have learned a hundred or more new things about photography, about posing, about editing and even about myself, and I so look forward to the future of this career!
