Are You Who You Want to Be? March 4, 2010
Posted by Nicole : Personal, Photography , 2 comments
Canon 7D, Canon 24-105 ƒ/4L IS Lens, 1/30 sec at ƒ/4, ISO 3200
A few days ago I was blasting Switchfoot on my iPod and tuned it to my favorite song, “This is Your Life”. One of the verses in it really made me think about it in terms of my life in general but I also started thinking about it as a photographer. it’s really a very simple phrase, but has so much meaning to it:
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
Try to put his into perspective as a photographer. I’m not talking about the photos you create or the amount of photography knowledge that you know, or how “good” you are at photography. Set aside the idea of how much money you make (or want to make), how many books you’ve written or contests you’ve won. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about you, who you are and if you as a photographer reflect that as well.
When you are photographing someone do you talk with them and treat them with respect? When you interact with clients are you fair and just, even though it is business? Are you kind to other photographers, even though they are the competition? Now I am of course under the assumption that most people want to be good, fair, honest and nice, but sometimes we tend to only want to apply that principle in our personal lives.
I’m not saying that you can’t have high prices for your services, or that you have to give all your “secrets” away to other photographers. For me photography is my job, it’s how I earn my living and it’s a very big part of who I am. But I want to run my photography business in a way that I can feel good about. I want to treat other photographers with respect and courtesy, even though they might be my competition. Part of how I do this is by sharing my knowledge with other people – that’s just a part of who I am.
You can be as cutthroat, rude and mean of a photographer as you want … but if that’s not who you are as a person then why are you that person when it comes to photography? Life is about people, it always has been and it always will be. Be who you want to be, be yourself and you can never go wrong.
My Favorite Hobby December 11, 2009
Posted by Nicole : Personal, Photography , 1 comment so far
Canon 7D, Canon 24-105 ƒ/4L lens, 1/100th sec at ƒ/4, ISO 400
Photography is definitely my favorite thing to do (for both work and play), but my next favorite thing is knitting – I guess you could call it my favorite hobby. It’s very relaxing to sit next to a fire, watch TV and knit … and thankfully my cat is unusual in the fact that he doesn’t chase after my yarn. :)
It’s definitely nice to be somewhere cold again, so I can actually wear the things I make – the scarf in the above photo is my most recent and most favorite thing to wear out in the cold (and inside my freezing house). I think I’ll make an effort to photograph all of my future knitting creations; there’s just something about the texture of the yarn that cries out to be photographed. Plus, it might make a cool wall decoration one day to hang a photo-collage of all my projects.
One way I’ve worked this hobby into my photography is by bringing some of the hats I’ve knitted along as props when I photograph people, especially little kids. The hat in this photo is one of my favorites. The colors and textures can add so much to an image, plus it keeps their little noggins warm. :)
Veteran's Day November 11, 2009
Posted by Nicole : Personal , 5 comments
Today is Veteran’s Day, and, for those of you who don’t know I served in the US Navy for over eight years before I was a full-time photographer (from 1999-2007). I was looking through some of my old photos from my time in the service and found this one of me while I was stationed in Misawa, Japan in 2002. My primary job while in the Navy was a linguist (CTI), but I also did some security forces training and had the opportunity to become weapons qualified (that’s me shooting an M16).
Being in the military taught me several things and I am a much stronger, more confident person because of it. I love my job right now because I’m doing what I have always wanted to do, but I would never change anything about my past, especially the opportunity to enlist in the Navy.
Thanks to those of you who have served or who are currently serving in the US Military … you are wholeheartedly appreciated.
This is who I am April 7, 2009
Posted by Nicole : Lensbaby, Personal, Photography , 9 comments
I have always been a photographer, even before I knew it. (Well, maybe I was always an artist and the camera was the pair of glasses that helped me see the world the way I pictured it in my mind.) Whether I am taking photos, singing, writing poetry, or attempting to play the guitar, all of that is who I am as a person. I don’t try to be someone else, I only know how to be me and I will always find a way to express myself.
Over the past several months I have finally started to realize how important photography is to me in my life. I love it so much that I want to share what I know with others so that they can create beautiful memories to show their friends, families, children, grand-children, etc. I love it so much that I am incredibly broke because I am trying to make it a full-time job (and I cringe when I realize that it is probably not a realistic endeavor at the moment). I want to be inspired, creative, and hopeful all at the same time.
Will I be able to do all of this? I think so, but I know that I’m not at my best quite yet. Tell a little kid to draw a picture and they basically are opening up a door to their little world. Sometimes I feel like I’m that little kid, and my photos are telling a story about my life … and right now my life is like a Lensbaby at f/2.8.
But that won’t stop me … I won’t slow down now & I’m only picking up speed. Come along for the ride if you like, but hold on tight! And don’t even think about getting in my way.
Fear, Passion & Balance February 25, 2009
Posted by Nicole : Personal, Photography , 6 comments
Long before I started my photography career I was worried that, over time, I would start to see photography as a job and would lose my passion and love for what I do. The nature of my job as a contributor to iStockPhoto & TWIP is, in a nutshell, to photograph & teach what I want with no boss & no deadlines, so I guess that keeps most of the boring stuff out. But there is that part of me that realizes (well, hopes) that one day I do have those things and that I am still able to keep my passion for photography alive. The fear is there … it’s tiny and in the back of my head, but I won’t ignore it. I want to be scared of it because if I am still scared then it means I still care.
Even though I can photograph & teach what I want to, it’s still work. Sometimes I take pictures of things I know will have a good chance of selling. I get a sort of “high” when I look at my images on the back of my camera and see a great image that has potential, but sitting behind my computer and processing the photos is still going to be, for the most part, dreary and monotonous. I can sit at my computer for half a day creating a tutorial that will reach hundreds, if not thousands, of people … and, well, I actually can’t think of anything boring or uninteresting about that part of my job (other than the fact that I do it for free, hehe!). ;)
In five/ten/twenty years will I still feel the same way? Will I get excited to go on a photoshoot? I think so. I honestly can’t imagine not wanting to create in pixels the images that are burned into my brain. I want other people to see those images too … I want other people to be able to create their own images, their own memories. I don’t want to stop!
So … what do I do?
One of my recent hobbies has been to create TimeLapse movies. I do these because I want to; I get enjoyment from the process of creating them and sharing them with others. I do them because they are FUN! That’s the key. Keep the fun in photography … don’t make it only about gear, megapixels, money, contests, critiques, or skills. If you suck at photography but you love taking photos, don’t stop. If you don’t have a lot of money and can’t afford a “better” camera, use what you have and don’t let it get you down. If you work all day and the sun is down when you get home, grab a tripod and try taking photos of the stars. In my opinion, everyone is a photographer … you don’t have to be a pro or even know what you are doing, but everyone enjoys taking photos because they are preserving a memory. If photography is your full-time job, try to integrate a part of photography that makes you happy and doesn’t just result in a paycheck. I sometimes have to force myself to step out of my “iStock box” and take photos that I don’t plan on uploading or making any money on … it keeps my brain charged and my creative juices flowing. Sometimes I even (unintentionally) come up with great-selling images in the process!
So just as we do in our day-to-day life, we are happiest when we have a balance of work and play. That, in my humble opinion, is the key to staying passionate about photography.
