My photography path (part 1ish)

A textversation with my sister reminded me of some stuff I want to talk through in some blog posts. Maybe it's boring, but I think there are some people out there who can relate to my ongoing experience with attempting to do professional photography as a side job. I'm still figuring things out, so it might help me to type through the process so far.

Get ready to see some old photos.


[Downtown Sacramento, 2003]
I already talked about some of the initial experiences that made me take photography a little more seriously. Technically, I was paid for my photography as early as about 2003 (some say that's what determines whether a person is professional), but that was back when I was still getting to know digital cameras. I was taking pictures that went into some of our materials at work, and then I was paid an additional fee for one of my work portraits, because the client wanted to use it in his book. At this point, I was doing graphic design for less than 50% of my work day (split with registering students in grad school and other administrative work), so my focus and desire was to get into a full-time graphic design position. Photography was just a hobby and not something I was necessarily pursuing.


[Work, 2006]
But when I finally did get that full-time graphic design position I had been after (that's my current job, which I started in late 2005), I was hired with the expectation that I would be taking some pictures for my employer. This was good news, although I didn't necessarily feel qualified. My workplace has a lot of beauty, though, and I enjoyed practicing my photography on the wide variety of natural and architectural features. It's also more in my comfort zone to take pictures of subjects that can't judge my technique or feel embarrassed. :)



I can't remember the exact point I started wanting to do portrait photography. In some ways it just seemed like the natural next step, especially since people tend to start asking you about it when they know you take pictures. But I also really started to enjoy it after practicing on my nieces.




[Easter 2006]
I remember taking a bunch of pictures of them one Easter after I had made the switch to a DSLR (one of the signs I was getting serious about my hobby). I think that experience prompted me to take more portraits, though I stuck to required work head shots and my nieces for awhile. Then I did those two weddings, and I knew I wanted to take more pictures of people, but I was still in denial that I could do professional portraits, or that I would ever market myself in such a way.

Something to know about me: I can be very slow about certain things. I tend to be maybe overly cautious and drag my feet in order to avoid jumping the gun and possibly looking stupid. I guess one of my biggest fears in life is looking stupid, but I certainly haven't sidestepped it (and when I think I have appeared stupid, I analyze it to death and want to hide while I let the humiliation wash over me and eventually pass). I admire people who go about things differently, although sometimes I disagree with their hasty approach. :)

Anyway, the idea of portrait photography was growing on me more and more, and I was inspired by all of the photography blogs I followed. When I started posting in this blog in early 2010, I felt like I needed to take steps--even if baby steps--toward doing more paid portrait photography. The blog was one way to publicly display my photos as a sort of ongoing portfolio, but I also revamped my web page to be more photography-centered. I still didn't really know where I was going with all of it, it just seemed like the right thing to do, and I figured God would give me more direction as time went on. I was laying a foundation, just in case.

To be continued.

Snapshot

Awhile back I shared one experience that I feel played an important role in getting me to where I am with photography. Now I'll share another.

T was probably the first friend I made when I moved to Oregon. She was one of the people to interview me for my job, and I remember connecting with her right away, as we were in a similar phase of life and had some other things in common.

I did some of the photography at my job, but it certainly wasn't my primary role and I was still feeling very beginnerish. That's why, when T got engaged and asked me to be her wedding photographer, I'm pretty sure my initial answer was that I couldn't do it. But she persisted and got me to at least agree to do her engagement photos as a trial run before I made a firm decision.



After the engagement shoot, T and her fiance basically forced me to agree to do their wedding. ;) After seeing how easy they were to work with, I agreed, but was still very nervous (and yet excited). It helped that they weren't expecting perfection, knew I was an amateur, and just wanted someone they were familiar and comfortable with. They were the perfect fit for my first try.



They let me come to the rehearsal and get to know my way around their church, they were okay with me wandering around to get the right shots during the ceremony, and they never seemed annoyed with me as I took a thousand photos of their "first look" and other portraits. They were so patient and sweet about it all.



My worries and insecurities hold me back from a lot, so it's encouraging to see how God has placed people in my life that have not been put off by my hesitation, but instead have applied gentle pressure (in a helpful, friendly way) so that I would stretch myself. Thank you, T (and your husband T!), for always being confident in me and knowing when to push me a little farther than I'd be willing to go without any outside influence.

I'm so glad I got to photograph T's wedding. I know it was a stepping stone for me. I have learned so much about photography (and photo editing) because of--and since--that experience that I often wish I could redo it now with my new equipment and knowledge. I still have a ton to learn, but there are many things I know I would do differently, so I'm just very glad they had the grace to give me an opportunity to make lots of mistakes.



Later I want to talk more about wedding photography (my very limited experience, and why it is limited), because it's kind of been on my mind recently.

The New Name + Snapshot

As you've likely figured out from my watermark* on the pancake photos, my new photography name is Greengate Photography. (I need to update and add to that site, but there's a logo at least.)

Greengate is the name of a street I lived on for several years. I like the two words in that name--green is my favorite color, and gates have some nice symbolism attached. There are some other reasons why I ended up with the name, but I'll spare you. Just trust me that I know it's not perfect, but choosing a name was a long and difficult process, and I'm very glad to be done. I'm satisfied, and that's what matters. (Yes, it's all about me.)

Various circumstances have me all reflecty about photography and how it's become more prominent in my life over the past eight years. In my mind, I have snapshots (no pun intended) of moments that I feel contributed to where I am now. One can be represented with an actual photo:

This man was the State Librarian and was associated with my then-employer. It happened that I knew the most about our new office camera and had been asked to take some of the photos we needed for a brochure I was designing. One was a portrait of this man, so I met him in his office one day and took a bunch of horrid photos (technically speaking), but got this lucky shot that turned out decently. He was so pleased with it that he wanted to use it for some other purposes, and I even got paid by a publisher who used it once. (Heck yes I took a photo of that check before depositing it!)

He didn't know me but, because of this photo, he was very supportive and encouraging. I think he's just that kind of guy anyway, but it still meant something to me. He kept insisting I should pursue photography, and that he could be a reference for me if necessary.

That's one of the many situations where I feel I did nothing special, but was blessed by God through others, and given a bit of momentum to move forward. I may talk about some other snapshots in the future, mostly because I think it's a good reminder to me of how God paves a way in areas where he has assigned our passion and interest.

*Which is subject to change--I just quickly came up with that for those photos.