On the 9th of August, 2016 I listened to Kola Oshalusi (Convener of the Business of Photography Conference) passionately teach a class of amateur and professionals the basics of photography and what it entailed to create a good image. In exactly 60 days, it will be 4 years since that date, 4 years since I decided to pursue a career in creating images and seeing the world one focal length at a time.
The Journey from knowing nothing to arguing which brand makes the best cameras has been nothing short of terrifying but in an exciting fashion. The thrill of an idea popping into your head, the process of planning and articulating steps to actualizing the said image, creating the said image, and shifting it through post-production… every step, essential to the realization of a singular vision; the perfect photograph. If I could make a list of things I’ve learned in this four-year journey (three years professionally), it would mostly look somewhat like this:
- Photography is Expensive: Don’t get me started on the cost of an entry-level DSLR. Starting out in photography is quite costly, running into hundreds of thousands in Nigerian Naira (You could opt to pay in dollars but I don’t see the significance of the currency used). Then you have to purchase Lenses, Lights, Backdrops and the list goes on. You can always start small but along the line, most people end up with GAS (Gear Acquisitions Syndrome) so ready your mind to spend or as we all think of it: Investments.
- Learning Never Stops: It starts with learning about the exposure triangle then you move on to learning lighting then post-production, then more lighting techniques then more post-production techniques. The learning curve never stops because the craft is constantly evolving and getting better and complacency inevitably means getting left behind whilst others forge ahead.
- Lighting is Everything: Irrespective of the Light Source; Sunlight, Moonlight, Strobes, Speedlights, Continuous LEDs, even just your cameras pop up flash (I’m not recommending that you use this but… Light is Light), the better your light source, the better looking your images will come out. Not minding the camera that you use (It took me switching three different camera systems to finally realize this), if your lighting is bad, the likelihood of getting great images is next to zero.
- Carve a Niche: Firstly, Explore! Try out everything in your first year (maybe your second year too, I know I did) and then find what drives you and the aspects of photography you’re best at and hone your skill at that niche till you become the best you can be. It pays off more to be known as a Pro at one thing than another random photographer who does everything.
- Simple is ‘Always’ Better: Most times, after accumulating gear, there’s always the temptation to try to fit in as many elements as possible into your images; more lights (that necessarily isn’t a bad thing), color gels, props and more and more I find myself shifting from the core which is the creation of simple and pleasing images. Every now and then, I try to remind myself that simple is enough! One light can do the trick, sometimes even just a reflector is enough… the goal is to create, not wear down the image with unnecessary distractions.
- Respect Your Client’s Differences: The nature of the craft means that at different points, you’d have to render services to different people (We all can’t be personal photographer to governors and presidents) and whilst the service we render is relatively the same, the people we’re servicing will differ in so many ways. It is essential that you treat everyone with respect no matter how hard they step on your toes or disrespect you (and trust me, some people will get to the last nerve and start playing skipping rope there). Being Professional has its perks and eventually always pays off.
The journey has been beautiful and I’m most definitely looking forward to more. Tell us in the comments section what you’ve learned in your time as a photographer.
