Why I don't specialise
Oh, you're photographer! what do you shoot? it's a question I often get asked. If I was to tell people I'm an event photographer they would ask me what type of events. If I told people I was a portrait photographer.. they'd probably say something like, oh I have a friend who wants to do portraits, perhaps you can show them.. If I was to tell people I'm a wedding photographer, I'd get responses like, my sister in laws cousins boyfriend is getting married, I'll tell them about you.
So I just tell people I'm a photographer... why?
Because I don't like to specialise. That way I can keep my mind fresh, not get stuck in a place where I've done it all and then think, 'now what', how can I be different? what can I do to challenge myself with my next client? I don't want to be cliché, I want to be confident at a time when a chef might ask me if I can photograph his food. I want to be able to say 'I can do that for you' if a driving instructor needs some images for their website.
Understanding peoples needs is important to me, I would hate to put my skills in just one category and call myself a product photographer for example. Where's the excitement in that?
I get bored easily, I like to mix things up a bit, think of fresh ideas, sketch out drawings, create mood boards, write notes and force myself to think creatively. Creativity is what keeps me going.
I admire photographers that specialise in one field, fair play to them if that's what they want to do but what do they do when they get creative block? go and look at another specialist photographers work in the same field to try and enlighten themselves and perhaps copy their ideas? hmmmm.
At the end of the day, for me, Photography is about keeping up with the ever changing and challenging ways of creating something different to what everyone else is shooting. If you were to ask a wedding photographer about the best camera settings for a macro shot, they probably wouldn't have a clue. If you were to ask a food photographer about the best way to shoot landscapes, they would probably look at you, slightly confused. The same can be said for music photographers, asking one of them about OCF (off camera flash) and they'd probably shrug their shoulders because it's not what they do.
Yes I'm a Photographer. No, I don't specialise, Why? because I love a challenge. I have experience in shooting food, I've done a couple of weddings, I've have studio experience shooting portraits. I enjoy nature and shooting birds in flight. I've practised with macro photography, capturing close ups of bugs.. I even love to make landscape photos. These practises helped me to develop my own personal project, creating my 'Mini Worlds, a mixture of macro and portrait and sometimes even landscapes and putting them together to creates something unique and personal to me and to my delight, my work has received international recognition and gained some magazine exposure.
So I want to show you my skills and have selected a few images below that I created. None of them are my speciality and I had fun making every single image because I felt confident enough to be able to say 'I can'. My journey continues as will my creative spark, my fuel, my passion is simply....Photography. I am a Photographer.
So I just tell people I'm a photographer... why?
Because I don't like to specialise. That way I can keep my mind fresh, not get stuck in a place where I've done it all and then think, 'now what', how can I be different? what can I do to challenge myself with my next client? I don't want to be cliché, I want to be confident at a time when a chef might ask me if I can photograph his food. I want to be able to say 'I can do that for you' if a driving instructor needs some images for their website.
Understanding peoples needs is important to me, I would hate to put my skills in just one category and call myself a product photographer for example. Where's the excitement in that?
I get bored easily, I like to mix things up a bit, think of fresh ideas, sketch out drawings, create mood boards, write notes and force myself to think creatively. Creativity is what keeps me going.
I admire photographers that specialise in one field, fair play to them if that's what they want to do but what do they do when they get creative block? go and look at another specialist photographers work in the same field to try and enlighten themselves and perhaps copy their ideas? hmmmm.
At the end of the day, for me, Photography is about keeping up with the ever changing and challenging ways of creating something different to what everyone else is shooting. If you were to ask a wedding photographer about the best camera settings for a macro shot, they probably wouldn't have a clue. If you were to ask a food photographer about the best way to shoot landscapes, they would probably look at you, slightly confused. The same can be said for music photographers, asking one of them about OCF (off camera flash) and they'd probably shrug their shoulders because it's not what they do.
Yes I'm a Photographer. No, I don't specialise, Why? because I love a challenge. I have experience in shooting food, I've done a couple of weddings, I've have studio experience shooting portraits. I enjoy nature and shooting birds in flight. I've practised with macro photography, capturing close ups of bugs.. I even love to make landscape photos. These practises helped me to develop my own personal project, creating my 'Mini Worlds, a mixture of macro and portrait and sometimes even landscapes and putting them together to creates something unique and personal to me and to my delight, my work has received international recognition and gained some magazine exposure.
So I want to show you my skills and have selected a few images below that I created. None of them are my speciality and I had fun making every single image because I felt confident enough to be able to say 'I can'. My journey continues as will my creative spark, my fuel, my passion is simply....Photography. I am a Photographer.
Macro
Portrait
Landscape
Nature
Fine Art
Composites
Children
Pets
Babies
So you see. Practising with most genres can teach you new skills. Understanding movement, close-ups, studio set-ups, outdoor environments, and natural light can reap great rewards. Who wan'ts to be stuck in the same boring job for the rest of their lives without the opportunity to change things up a bit? fortunately I don't think that will happen to me any time soon.
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