With my first 2010 wedding coming up this Saturday, followed by an in(SCP)iration shoot and an engagement session, I’d say that this season is kicking into gear! With Boston, wedding photographers really don’t do many weddings from November to February, I’d consider that really the off-season, but it has been a wonderful time to rebrand, work on marketing, make lots of new friends, have client consultations (which are moving to my home by the way, so you’ll get a peek at my personal life =D), and rest (err… as much rest as one could get in my position).
In the meantime I’ve been having a lot of fun answering anonymous questions over at my formspring - don’t be shy, any and all questions are welcome (just keep it clean!), and they might show up in a future FAQ post!
The following answers I think have been on top of a lot of photogs’ minds, so I am reposting them here hopefully so they can be helpful for more people!
What camera would you recommend for a beginner?
I actually don’t think your primary investment should be the camera, it should be the lenses. Sure, I have a fancy D700 but I upgraded after I exhausted all the technicality I could push out of my older cameras and knew that my clients deserved better. I see so many people selling D3 or D700 or fancy Canon equivalents on Craigslist because they didn’t know what to do with the camera. YOU and your eye and your artistry makes the photo, the camera is merely a tool. Learn how LIGHT affects EVERYTHING in photography, learn the basic relationships between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity, once you master that, you should in manual whenever you can. A good lens can make or break a picture. I often suggest to people to buy as much camera as they can afford but not worry too much about it – because if you do get good you’ll have to upgrade anyway, cameras depreciate like no other. And, instead of getting a kit lens (which suck so much I’d rather throw it out and poke myself in the eye than even try to shoot with it), spend $100 on a 50mm f/1.8 lens – both Canon and Nikon have such a version.
Would you recommend taking some kind of photoshop classes to become more proficient in photoediting or patience and “figure out yourself” is rather the key here?
I did both. If you want to learn fast, I would recommend a class, helps you weed out immediately what is and isn’t useful in Photoshop and the theory behind a lot of the functionality. I’d stay away from most of the books out there, they can be outdated. A class is great for teaching you how to understand how to use Photoshop in the best and most efficient way, but it won’t teach you your own style – that you will have to figure out yourself.
Do you use any image or production tools (e.g. Kubota) to edit your photos, or do you do it all by hand/from scratch in Photoshop?
All by hand, I have my own actions and preset edits. I don’t like my pictures looking like everyone else’s.
What are some of your non-photography passions or hobbies in life?
You mean I can’t be a one-sided person? Kidding =) I used to be a classically trained pianist. I love playing music by Ravel, Chopin, and Liszt. I’m not the sportiest person in the world but I enjoy swimming and throwing a frisbee around. Despite my small stature, I looove eating (and cooking). If I had time to volunteer I definitely look for opportunities involved in tutoring youth or leadership development.
What’s your biggest insecurity as a photographer? In life?
Acceptance. As an artist, I struggle for my art to be accepted and liked by the very people I hope it serves. Not everyone will always agree with my style or approach, but I do hope that my clients continue to like me.
In life, my biggest insecurity is probably a fear of failure – especially as perceived by my parents and by myself. I’ve been driven all my life to succeed – get straight A+s in high school, get a perfect GPA, get into Harvard, get into a top job, make lots of money. Now that I’m starting to really take root in my own identity, and listen to my inner voice and follow my inner passion – a luxury, really – I want that to be recognized as a form of success, too.
A whimsical sneak peek (and I chose this outtake photo because it fit the title of this post) at who’s coming up next, can you guess who these fabulous ladies are? :D
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by Shang
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