Hello virtual cobwebs and dust… (you’re welcome Gordon Lightfoot). It has almost been a year since I have drawn the curtains of my life and allowed my photographic adventures to be on display for the world to appreciate. One might have assumed that I had carefully packaged all my gear, sold it to the highest bidder on eBay, and completely dismissed my goal of mastering photography. Well, that is utterly false. On the contrary, my fervor for photography has further intensified and enabled me to determine, for the time being, the area I would like to explore. From now on, I will endeavor to regularly share my adventures on my website; however, this post will mainly serve as an update on the last 5 months of my photography journey. Among many other activities, including refining my photography skills, networking with & learning from fellow photographers, and experimenting with various off-camera flash techniques, below is a short list of my main achievements these past few months:
I have upgraded my gear
I have updated my website (as I am sure you noticed)
I have partially begun exploring stock photography
I have managed to secure my first paying gig
Gear Upgrade
My first camera was a Sony α6300. I held on to it for about 3 months before choosing to upgrade to a Sony α7 III. The former decidedly played the role of a steady and convenient beginner camera. It enabled me to learn the basics of photography, such as lenses, angles, etc., identify what constitutes a decent photo, and develop my creativity. When I realized that I was genuinely passionate about photography and felt ready to completely dive into it, I acquired the α7 III, a full-frame model that has been phenomenal so far (in comparison with the α6300 at least).
I have also purchased 4 pieces of Godox off-camera flash equipment: a V860IIS camera flash, a 32” / 80cm umbrella octagon softbox, an XPro-S TTL wireless flash trigger, and an S-type speedlite bracket Bowens-mount holder as well as 1 Etekcity 24” 5-in-1 portable collapsible multi-disc reflector and 1 Neewer 32” / 80cm umbrella octagon softbox. Even though I still occasionally shoot using natural light, which taught me the basics of lighting in photography, integrating off-camera flash into my learning experience indubitably improved the quality of my photos. Evidently, my current lighting setup is not comprehensive, but it allows me to take interesting photos as long as the sun is willing to cooperate. Check out my portfolio and see for yourself.
Website Update
Since photography is becoming more than simply a hobby to me, I have updated my website by rendering it more user-friendly and stylish. In addition to my Instagram, I wanted to ensure that I had a multipurpose platform to share my experience and some of my favorite photos I have shot (check out my portfolio), enable people to connect with me if they wish, and sell certain products when I become a pro among pros.
Stock Photography
I have been, at times, wandering around and taking pictures of various inanimate objects to later realize that many of those photos were actually stunning. I had read a blog and watched a YouTube video advocating stock photography and its many advantages. Rather than having tons of photos collecting digital dust on my hard drive in addition to taking up space, I figured I would just upload them to some stock photo website and allow my fellow Earth-men and women to pick and buy whichever struck their fancy.
First Paying Photography Gig
I sure did not earn the same amount of money my sister paid her wedding photographer, but I did get paid. I had the unique opportunity to work with 3 other photographers to complete one task: take multiple photos of a 2 sports teams (baseball & soccer). What an unforgettable experience that was! Not only did I learn how to patiently and professionally deal with parents and their children, but I also realized how stressful photography could become if not managed properly.
As you may have noticed, these past 5 months have been eventful. Since my goal here is to maximize learning, I have also started working on a project that I will be sharing as soon as it is completed. Stay tuned for more.