As my images continue to reach a wider audience, a lot of people send me messages asking questions about my photography. I have noticed the points of curiosity are usually the same, so I decided to write a short blog and answer the most common questions people ask.
Q: How long have you been a photographer?
A: I have enjoyed photography as a hobby since I was a teen. I minored in photography at Youngstown State University in the late 1990s when I was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism. At YSU I learned the camera basics and how to develop images in a darkroom as well as a little bit about studio lighting.
After graduating from YSU in 1998 with my bachelor’s in journalism I worked briefly as a photo assistant at a photography studio in Canfield, Ohio and then was hired as a reporter for The Vindicator of Youngstown, Ohio. For many years my primary creative focus was writing. I wrote two novels and worked as a reporter and freelancer, but I continued to enjoy photography as a hobby.
I used a film camera until around 2007 when my film camera broke and I bought a little point-and-shoot digital camera. I was then immediately hooked on digital and wondered why I had been so stubborn about making the switch! However, I didn’t buy my first professional digital camera (a Canon Rebel t3i) until 2012. It was around this time that I became serious about becoming a professional photographer and started my business.
I consider myself mostly self-taught in both digital photography and Photoshop. I learned a little bit of Photoshop while I was in graduate school at YSU getting my master’s degree in English, but most of what I do now I have learned on my own, along the way. I have found Youtube to be a great resource for learning about photography and Photoshop etc. There is truly a video on almost every topic! I also must give credit to my friend and web designer, Andrea, who is a Photoshop wizard. She has taught me a thing or two about the program as well.
Q: What kind of camera do you use?
A: I currently shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III.
Although a professional camera is definitely important, I must add that the camera is only part of the equation in capturing good photos. Other factors include: the type of lens the photographer uses, the photographer’s editing software, and of course, the photographer’s artistic vision and expertise.
Always remember – you can hand 10 photographers the same camera and lens, and each will capture something different, so it’s never just the camera that determines a winning image.
Q: What kind of editing software do you use?
A: I process my images with Photoshop 5. I edit some images a great deal; others I barely touch. It just depends on the image and what kind of feeling I am trying to evoke with the image.
Q: Do you think too much Photoshop is “cheating”?
A: No. Although I think it is absolutely essential to know how to use a camera in manual mode and to understand light, I consider photography to be an art form, and I consider Photoshop as just another artistic tool. I think you would be hard-pressed nowadays to find a professional photographer who does not use some type of digital editing software to manipulate and enhance their images.
There are many different kinds of photography—there is fine art photography (which typically involves a lot of editing), and there is photojournalist photography (which captures things as they are). I am comfortable doing both, and I think each has a value and purpose.
Q: Do you provide photography lessons?
A: Not at this time. Maybe in the future. I have too many irons in the fire already. 🙂
Q: Can I shadow you on a landscape / nature photo shoot?
A: I am flattered that people ask, but when I venture out to do nature photography in the early morning or evening I am either by myself or with my boyfriend. I am a naturally introverted person who likes to do my creative work in solitude, so I have never invited anyone along for the ride. I have considered making videos of some of my experiences, but I have not yet had time to learn this skill.
Q: What advice would you give aspiring photographers?
A: This is a complex and long answer, and it’s hard to summarize the answer succinctly, but I will try.
The first thing I will say is photography is a very saturated market. I don’t say that to discourage anyone, but the reality is that many photographers do their photography as a side gig and have a “real” job because they can’t make a decent full-time wage as a photographer. I am not saying it can’t be done—because it can, and there are photographers who are highly successful—but to be in that bracket you have to be really good at what you do and you have to have a good head for business. (I continue to work on both.)
Another harsh fact is this: people often don’t want to pay a good photographer what they are worth because they don’t realize how challenging the job truly is or what goes on behind the scenes to produce quality images. Quality photography is not as easy as the snap of a shutter button although it seems many people believe it is.
If you already realize what the obstacles and challenges are, but you really love photography and want to make a living at it, then my second piece of advice would be to commit yourself to being the best you can be, finding your unique vision and niche and working hard to achieve your goals.
I believe this is a field where there is always something new to learn, and I don’t pretend to know everything. Be humble, strive for excellence and work hard. That is my best advice not only for photography but for life in general.
Thanks to everyone who follows me on social media and appreciates my work. I truly value your enthusiasm and interest!
