Photography Talk

Hello, Hello!

I’m Aja and I’ve been asked to be a guest blogger on Karly’s lovely blog today!!

In this post I’ve been asked to cover photography [because it’s what I do].

BUT before I go any further, let me give a brief intro about myself! [Considering I’m a stranger]

-I have a photography blog called Details Missed [because most ppl would butcher Aja]

-I’m married to my sexy sweetheart [about a year and a half]

-I’m a senior at BYUI [Photo major & business minor]

-I photographed Karly’s wedding [My first wedding ever!!]

-I love sour punch straws, pizza, the salad bar, lemons, limon chips and pictures!

Mastering photography- Is it even possible? It really depends on your standards as a photographer. For me, it’s almost impossible. Why? Because I keep pushing myself to become a better photographer, I am unsatisfied with ordinary; I want something spectacular and better than what I photographed yesterday. If I settle for mediocrity, I know I have failed myself. So I keep pushing myself to be the very best I can be :)

How do I get better? Educate yourself, practice and learn from your mistakes. I can't stress enough how vital education plays a roll in my photography. I once thought I was good enough with this camera and the Auto button and no education. Don't get me wrong, if you want a camera that gives you that "blurry background" without all the work then a bridge camera is just for you. Bridge cameras are convenient, compact and have the versatility of a DSLR. I would highly suggest you purchase a bridge camera instead of going through all the hassle of a DLSR when all you're going to do is merely use the Auto button and take "nice photographs" for the family album. BUT, just because you own a fancy camera doesn't mean you're the best out there. You may have mastered a certain piece in photography, but it doesn't mean you've mastered them all. There is always something you can and will learn from others that will make you a better photographer. This is something I learn on a daily basis.

Taken with my Fujifilm s700 back in 2009

Find your passion-I once read that every photographer will have something they are truly good at, something that is their passion or calling, something that makes their heart skip a beat every time they take their camera out. Throughout the years as a photo student & exploring all types of photography, I have discovered that what I enjoy doing, and what makes my heart sings lies in portrait photography. I do it because I love it.  I do it because it makes me all giggly inside when I know I’ve successfully captured a client’s personality and beautiful appearance. It makes me happy. But just because I love portraits doesn’t mean I’ve mastered it all. I am discovering my strengths and weaknesses and will one day narrow my list of portraits and specialize in what I absolutely enjoy photographing-lovers and seniors. If anything, I urge you to explore all types of photography to see what you truly enjoy photography [landscape, architecture, babies etc]. Don’t do it for the love out of money, do it because it’s your passion and you care for the subjects you photograph!

 Words of advice

• Unless you are Bill Gates, don’t go in debt for photo equipment.
• You don’t need the most expensive equipment to produce beautiful images
• Always have back up batteries and memory cards!
• Shooting RAW takes up a LOT of space, BUT it contains ALL the data from the sensor and allows you to recover clipped highlights and dark, dark shadows. Great for mixed light situations!
• Calibrate your laptop/computer/whatever!! It affects the way you see color, brightness and contrast. AKA your images may look one way on your device, but it doesn’t mean it’ll print that way
• When photographing naked newborns, be prepared for pee [learning experience here]
• The macro setting on a point n shoot is awesome!
• Avoid photographing during noon, light is most pleasant in the early morning or later evening [not to mention the colors are awesome too!]
• Learn how to use and create actions in Photoshop, it will save you time in post processing
• Find the method that works for you and practice, practice!
• Remember, too much Photoshop is like too much makeup [and it can get scary ppl]