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So, I just read Miss Oyster's post about what she's learned during wedding planning and she mentions that she is considering starting a photography business, which is awesome! It got me thinking though. Mrs. Bunny is in the process of setting up a photography business and I'm pretty sure a few other bees have too. I myself am in the process of setting one up (although not so much for wedding photography), and off-hand I know that two regular posters (elusivephoto and KLP) are photographers. We have a lot of shutter-happy bees!
I think photography is a great art form because unlike some other types of art like drawing, for example, I think effort is more important than talent. Sure, you have to have both but I could study drawing every day for the rest of my life and still suck. In photography if you learn all the STUFF you can probably take a good photo.
So anyways... I was wondering how the general weddingbee population feels about photography, how good are you? And just for fun, what kind of camera do you shoot on? (Now is not the time to be modest ladies! And if you'd like to post an example of an artsy pic you've taken or link to your flickr page, bonus points!)
ETA: I forgot to add my own camera info! I have a canon rebel xti and my fav lenses right now are my 50mm/1.4 and my 10-22mm/3.5. I also have a little sony cybershot i keep on me 24/7 for unexpected photo ops :)
I do it for fun, really. On the side. Sometimes i get a little bit of extra money. I wouldn't say I'm fabulous by any means, but I see what I like on other photographers' sites and use it to inspire my own photos.
I have a Pentax K-7, a handful of lenses, a Shootsac, and some off camera lighting. Basically a few grand worth of equipment.One of my friends is preggo and i'm trying to talk her into a matenrity session (but she says she feels unphotogenic) and I'm doing the getting ready/morning shots for my friend's indian wedding (i can't wait!) before her real photographer shows up.
I don't plan on opening up a business, but it's enjoyable on the side. I've taken classes in photoshop and i've gone to workshops before with professional photographers, and my biggest struggle is learning what to do with the PEOPLE that isn't cheesy or cliche. I have zero problems working my camera (i know it inside and out now) but posing gives me trouble.
Okay here's some of my stuff. I REALLY hope my friend lets me do maternity photos with her next weekend. I feel like a "real" photographer could probably pick these apart though.
Wow sorry they're so HUGE
Ah, how could I have forgotten you EJS! I knew you did photo work :) I love that third one down!
Also-- I totally agree with you on poses. I never did portrait work until this year and I find working with people to be the hardest thing. Trees aren't shy, ya know? haha. I feel like I'm okay with engagement and baby shoots now... but I have my first "kid shoot" this weekend with an 8 and 9 year old and I have NO clue how pose them (or get them to be unposed and still cute!)
Canon Power Shot S1 15 this photo was taken outside my front door about 2 months ago. Big thunderstorm was brewing :) its about as good as my photography gets lol
I do it for fun. I helped shoot my aunt and uncle's wedding since they got married quickly and couldn't afford a professional. Luckily there are a few people in our family that do photography as a hobby. :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mauri212/sets/72057594109389602/
I love photography! However, I'm definitely one of those people who knows nothing about the technicalities of it, I don't do any post-processing, and I just shoot what I like :)
My fiance has a Canon Rebel (xti, I think), and I have just a plain 'ol point and shoot (can't remember the brand right now - I know it's an underwater camera!)
I haven't taken any pretty, artistic-like shots in a while, but I have some from my first canon point and shoot. They're still some of my favorites!
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I have a Canon Rebel (whatever the lowest model is) but I just got it, and I have been so insanely busy I haven't had any time to learn how to use it. I might add that to my list for this weekend!
Yeah i know! I have TONS of nature type photos (they're all on my home computer--i yanked these off facebook, haha) and photos from our vacations and stuff. I color edit them, turn them sepia, whatever i want, then mount them in frames. It's like free art, lol. I love the "artsy" side of editing photos, like how Ben Chrisman does his work.
But yeah...kids are tough, too. I don't have anyone close enough to me that'll just let me 'experiment' with their kids.
my friend ashley munn (here's her site) does the CUTEST baby photos. I always drool over hers. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one. It's red fish/blue fish. She has a very "you just DO it" attitude about her work, which i admire. I shot a wedding with her once, back in October. It's fun to see the behind the scenes although i spent most of the time watching her, not shooting, haha.
Stuff like this...i just go "omg....I SUCK" haha.
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I'm definitely trying to get better, but I really need some new lenses. I have a Canon Rebel xti, and just the 2 lenses that came with it from Adorama (18-55mm/3.5-5.6 & 75-300mm/4.0-5.6), neither of which I'm in love with. They're just the cheaper Canon lenses.
I really want a 35mm/2.0 lens right now, and a macro len, but that's just way out of the budget right now.
I am much more comfortable with all of my camera's features now that I've had it for a while, but have no idea how to photograph people. I'm loving all of the spring flowers and insects lately, though!
I feel like I get a lot of happy accidents, but I don't 100% understand composition yet. And I'm terrible at processing.
Here are a few from FB- I don't have a lot to choose from on there.
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I own a wedding and portrait biz. I've never actually held any other job as I started working as an assistant in high school. It is A LOT of work, but it's the most amazing job in the world {ok maybe just to me} I couldn't even imagine doing anything else. It's a slow week if I work less then 60 hours.
If any newbies here who are just starting their biz or if you just have tech, editing or business questions please feel free to send me a PM or an email {info @ pizzutistudios.com} I LOVE finding other people who love photography as much as I do and I am so grateful to those who helped me as I was establishing my business and would love to pass that on.
I have to much gear to list it all but my favs are:
Canon 5d {hopefully upgrading to mk11 this summer}, canon L series 85 prime lens, 24 to 70 L series lens and my 580II flash off camera with radio poppers. For software, I couldn't live with out Lightroom or photoshop.
What a great post! I love the questions, esp the last one. I can't wait to hear what others have to say.
@ejs4y8 what a cute photo I LOVE LOVE LOVE it, and the concept. She is an amazing photog and you are lucky to have her as a friend.
Loving all the pics and links here! I have to go do my "real job" for a bit (sigh, heh) but I'm excited to come back later and see more.
@pizzuti- you don't know what you've just offered... expect a pm from me with lots of questions later! haha
I love photography like I love cooking and baking - I have fun with it and challenge myself, but don't have enough confidence to go pro. It's stress release for me, and although I could see doing a few low-key jobs, I wouldn't advertise. My 35mm Canon Rebel SLR got stolen. :( And I have no access to a darkroom. So I've taken over the Nikon DSLR that I bought R a few years back. I'm terrible.
@klp- well I'm not Mr.bee but I think your website is totally relevant to the question! We're just talking photography here not selling stuff :) And that water pic is amazing! I agree with you 1000% about not doing weddings until you're totally ready. I have been doing photography generally for over a decade but only really focusing on portrait work for less than a year. While I guess I *could* do a wedding now (and I've done 2 for family members just as favors)... I wouldn't because I'm not ready. I want to get a lot more experience with portrait work first, a TON more experience with editing (my weakest point imo), and then find a photographer to let me second shoot a few weddings. Weddings are just way too important to jump into without putting in the work first!
Editing was totally my weakest point (and one I STILL have to focus a lot on, and I'd personally say I still stink at it!) You've got a great plan! Portraits you can mess up and offer your clients a redo :-) That's actually what I usually rec. Start doing portraits, start working with clients and business stuff, take all that money and invest in your gear. Then, when you're ready to come out swinging in the market, you'll wow not only your clients but competition.
I'll never forget, I had the hardest time and couldn't really get why with my "DSLR" I could compose these awesome pics but they were just so flat, and boring, and just... eh. Then, as I was stalking a big name photog in my area, he posted a before and after of editing. It all clicked, Ah ha! So, once I was ready another year or two later, I entered the market, and not at the bottom. At this point, the "big" photographer was now HUGE and he and I were at the same bridal show. While talking to brides (a mere 4 months into business) he was standing outside my booth with his mouth open going to another photographer, "Where did she come from? Did she just move here?" That was EXACTLY what I wanted.
That's why I wouldn't do it any other way. I STILL see photographers I was starting out with posting on CL. (I've never posted there) and they are STILL working for next to nothing. I've seen others come up, piss people off giving bad pictures and then they disappear. I didn't want that. I wouldn't open a McDonald's without Buns, so I didn't want to open my business without everything in line :-)
I am a terrible photographer. I hate that I am incapable of taking a decent photo.
I've always had an interest in photography, but have never been very good at it. I should probably read the manual :-P
@Pizzuti, I KNOW! She shares all her secrets and tips with me. It's awesome =]
@KLP, that is AWESOME! Me likey very much!I checked out your website and I love your work! You had some seriously "game" clients on that last one.
Beach photos like that make me want to purposely take a vacation out there just so we have stuff like this in our house. St Louis is so boring =]
@KLP, i love this one. So sweet =]
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Before I went back to school I worked as a photographer (mostly as a second shooter). I absolutly love photography, and it will be the biggest chunk of my wedding budget.
Since I missed my artistic activites so much, I now own a tiny graphic design business now that I can operate while i am in school.
Here's me with my first digital camera, before I got an SLR. (I also love to scrapbook)
And this is my first photo I ever won a prize for and sold as a print. It's still one of my favorites. Sorry for the crap-resolution, but after my last laptop left, I only have the copy from Flickr.
ejs4y8 - Me TOO! It looks even better in it's frame hanging in the studio! I was so disappointed they didn't order ANY prints of that one! But then again, my clients almost never gravitate towards my favorites, lol. It will be VERY interesting to see my own wedding photographers "favorites" selection and then see if I agree... haha
I am consistently impressed by the talent of all the bees. Ladies, your photos are wonderful. I wish I could do that!!
My friend always tells me her clients NEVER order her favorites. She's always confused by that.
I have to say that i tend to gravitate towards artsier photos like that versus the typical head+face+body shots, too. I don't want a TON of photos of my face in my house...but i would love to have more 'ambiguous' i guess photos of myself.
Like I said I need to start getting some ideas for my friend's getting-ready style photos (indian wedding...gorgeous...tons of pretty things to take photos of) and I don't want her to be disappointed she asked me to do her a favor versus hiring her photographer for a few extra hours!!!! It makes me nervous but I have until June, too. So i've added you to my blogroll and will stalk =]
And i must say, your portrait prices are great =]
Im not great but not horrible. I took a photography class a couple years ago and here are some photos I took during that time. I LOVE to take pictures wether Im good or not! :-)
I wish I was better but I admit I suck. I want a Rebel xsi the worst way though.
I have 2 friends who are amazing photogs. My MOH is an art teacher and studied photgraphy in college and another friend is just incredible and she's only 22. I keep telling her to get an apprenticeship. FI's Aunt is a photography professor and her work blows me away. I just look at their work and I know I should just keep my pics to myself.
I always think of Stewie from Family Guy when I compare my pics to someone else's:
"Every girl who can aim a camera thinks she's a photographer. Oooh, you took a black and white picture of a lawn chair and its shadow and developed it at Save-On. You must be brooding and deep."
HAH! Yeah, that pretty much sums up my "photography" experience.
@dancy--- i always laugh at that quote too! Especially because I have a black and white photo of a lawn chair I did when I was about 14 or 15 and developed myself and I was SO PROUD of myself hahahaha. We've all got to start somewhere right?
@dancy905: LOL! which episode is that I don't remember Stewie ever saying taht I would have pissed myself if I heard that... That quote just made my day!!!
I do a small photography business on the side. We mainly do portrait and wedding photogrpahy. But we only have done people we know or some acquaintances. Nothing big or anything like that. Wish we did though lol!!!
I have a Nikon d60 (it's one of the earlier models) but dreams of a d300. Once I get the money I'm buying that one and some new lenses too!!!
I'm not at my home comp. right now so I can't really put up any pics but I have a couple maternity shoots on my facebook. I'll try and post some later.
vfoster03 - I'm selling the ol D200 w/grip :-) just thought I'd throw that out there... lol
Its in my blood but I don't think it would ever be a career. My dad was a National Geographic Photographer and would bring me into the dark room in one of those backpack kid carrier things when I was only 6 months old (sooo not healthy for an infant but hey cool story). It was pretty much the only cool thing I got from my dad so it's kinda nice to have. I have a full dark room set up sitting in my garage but it's kinda null and void now isn't it!! lol I have a digital it's not SLR but it's an expanded super zoom point n shoot but I just can't bring myself to get rid of my old Nikon and Pentax. (I still grab the lens of my point-n-shoot in attempt to focus even though I KNOW it's not going to work!) Maybe someday my kids will think it's pretty cool to have an old camera that sill uses "film" and a dark room to develop it in!
@cricket-- that is so cool about your dad! My dream career growing up was to be a national geographic photographer! I had a dark room in high school (best christmas gift ever-- my dad built it for me!), and I miss it so much sometimes. Digital is awesome, but I love the smell of those chemicals :)
I'm okay, but getting better.
It helps that I have a nicer camera now. But mostly I leave picture taking to J... he's got a better eye for it than I do!
ah-- sorry! I knew there were quite a few. I was just thinking of who I'd actually spoken to this week :)
My FI and I are both into photography (one of our first dates involved us going on a photo shoot!). We've recently started doing more portrait work (couples and maternity) and we'll be the official photographers for the first time at a wedding in May. Between the 2 of us, we have a Canon 30D, 5D, several L series lenses and a couple of speedlites. It's fun to do as a hobby, but we are both too dedicated to our other full time professions to turn this into a job.
It's all good Corgi! :) See you on the boards as always!
Im not that great. I honestly think that you dont have to be a good photographer.. you just gotta know how to work photoshop.. thats all.. oh and maybe have a decent camera. It always bugs me when people buy a nice camera and they "pretend" they are photographers.. come on.. Anyways.. to answers your question.. I kind of know how to work photoshop and I have a decent camera.. So im the best..lol.. No i still suck.. 
I love taking photos - I'm the unofficial family photog! A local university offers photography classes, which I plan to take once I'm finished with my formal degree track in December of this year. I hope to get better and maybe someday, if I'm lucky and talented enough, open a small business.
I am going to school for Photography and have never wanted to do anything else. I am not the greatest at photoshop but i'm working on it. I have a Canon 50D that i love and use as often as i can. My friends call me papparazi. lol
Here are a few of my favorites...
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