6 Months In…

Tomorrow marks the month milestone for my little photography business. It was February 23 of this year when I decided to go with my gut, cast aside my nerves and pursue photography as a profession. I purchases my first SLR camera with just a kit lens, and dove head first into shooting anything and everything I could. Little did I know to begin with that there was much, much, much more to photography than just pointing a camera and shooting. There are the business aspects, the editing aspects, and the technical aspects. I felt very overwhelmed to begin with. I looked around at some of my favorite photography blogs and their work…and I was in awe. For a split second, I thought that maybe I didn’t have what it took. That maybe my work wasn’t good enough. But instead of wallowing in that, and letting the work of others intimidate me, I used it to inspire me. To offer me encouragement. I began spending as much free time as I could online researching, reading, and looking at photos. I studied everything from Aperture and Shutter Speed to composition and Photoshop Techniques.

When my husband left for A-School in April, I decided then and there that the time he was away would be solely devoted to our son and my photography. And so far, it’s worked out fantastic. The very day he left, I had my very first shoot for my wonderful friend Mandy with her little girl. I was amazed at what I saw when I began looking through the shots at the end of the day. It was the first time I really started to think that maybe, just maybe, I could really do this.

From there I shot Father’s Day photos for a friend of our family’s, and two couples shoots. Each one better than the last. Each one teaching me something new, each one teaching me a little bit more about the skills required and the techniques needed to properly capture and deliver my work. I practiced on little man every chance I could, and my technique with children has gone from this:

{Taken the second day I had my SLR in February 2010}
To this:

 

{both captured in late July/early August of 2010}

I also began capturing still life’s at every opportunity, set up a Flickr Account, created a professional logo, ordered business cards, and set up my Website. Things have been on the fast track lately, with Fall rolling in. I’ve had 10 or 12 inquiries for Fall Sessions, and I’m waiting to receive the deposit for my very first Wedding any day.  While I know that there is so much more for me to learn, so many more mistakes for me to make, and so many things that I haven’t even thought of experiencing yet, I am so happy with how far I have come. The Blog Hops that I participate in here every week [usually every single day] have given me ideas and pushed my creativity to the limits. Days when I thought that there was nothing left for me to photograph, were quickly countered by new and fresh takes on every day items and every day moments. The comments that I receive from each of you are really what has gotten me to the point that I’m at now. Without your encouragement and your thoughts and uplifting words, I would have stopped shooting way before now…settled for just being a mom with an SLR and mediocre photography skills. But I don’t want that. I refuse to settle for anything less than the absolute best in myself and my work.

There are dozens upon dozens of photographers whose work I admire and aim to replicate creatively. And it is my goal to reach the point in my own career that I can be of the same kind of inspiration to others that some of these photographers have been to me. Aside from creative inspiration this journey has intertwined my life with some very amazing women whom I do not hesitate to call friends. People I wouldn’t have met without continuing to pursue this dream.

So what’s in store for the future?

Fall shoots. A new Camera with lots of new goodies. A big move for our family which will result in a new business and building new clientele. A Wedding in March of 2011. And then after that who knows. All I know is that this journey is just beginning for me, and I am eager to embrace and conquer whatever may come my way. Thank you all for being a part of this journey and for your words that mean so much.

Lastly, I want to demonstrate how far I’ve come ‘technically’ and creatively in this journey.

This is the first photo I posted on this blog:

Still holding the first watermark I ever created with the initial name of the business I was aiming to build. I shot this with my Xsi using nothing but the kit lens that came with it. I was aiming for Aperture and-even though I didn’t know what it was called then-creamy bokeh. This shot was unsuccessful in both ways. However, I was proud of it. Because I took it. And I achieved what I thought that I wanted to achieve. Clarity. So I kept shooting. This is one of my absolute favorite shots…one of the first ones where I successfully created the bokeh that I was aiming for:

Again, with a new and different watermark. I was still working on developing a brand and a style for myself. And now, here I am. With a still life shot that I captured just today:

My perspective has changed. My style has changed. My editing techniques have improved tremendously and I am still learning.I can not wait to see where this next 6 months takes me. :)