Ask Sam Anything: Part I
Photography has changed my life. Not only have I traveled internationally, but I have made life-long friends along the way. I want to share what I’ve learned, so today is the first of my new blog series where I answer questions asked by you! I told my followers to ask me anything photography-related over on my Instagram page recently. I am amazed at how many questions I got! For those of you that still have questions, please feel free to email me or tweet me @_samanthaclarke. Let’s get started!
I teach preschool students with disabilities and most times I take pictures of them throughout the day of their many successes (e.g. putting on their coat independently ). This has led me into enjoying taking pictures of little ones and parents love the photos as gifts etc. I’m certainly a novice, however, I would love to learn more about photography. Where should I begin? I’ve thought about volunteering / being an intern of a photographer willing to open their door.
Awesome question! I really think you should start with what you love. It sounds like you’ve found a type of photography that you’re passionate about. Which is great! Some find their passion after trying everything under the sun. I started with portraits of anyone and everyone, mainly my family and friends. Then I started to shoot weddings and focused on them while doing portraits on the side. I think it’s great to focus on children and/or families because you can start to build a portfolio in a that particular area which will really help you with becoming an expert later on. Plus, you have a really powerful story to go along with your passion. I think what you’re doing is really a great start! Taking such meaningful photos of the children you know is already getting you the practice you need. So definitely keep that up, with their parents’ permission, and keep practicing. Try to shoot something every chance you get! This will definitely help you build your confidence and your portfolio. Volunteering is a great way to start, but it’s not the only way to start. Watching someone take photos or carrying their bags of equipment won’t really help you become a better photographer. But it will help to gain knowledge of that photographer’s style while also building your network. In addition to working with a photographer, consider using your spare time doing your research and putting your creativity to the test. That way you’ll start to find your own voice as a photographer, which will help with setting you apart from others. You can learn a lot through mentorship and by reading information as well as practicing. As a self-taught photographer, I relied heavily on the information I could find online and practicing as much as I could with the equipment that I could buy or rent. Good luck!
I am always finding ways to learn my craft and grow, and I would love the opportunity to learn from you in any way I can. If you are looking or interested in an intern or just someone to help you on a shoot to carry your lights, bags, or anything I would be honoured to be that person.
Thank you so much for offering, but at the moment I’m not in need of an intern. If you’re looking for one-on-one mentoring, I’m really excited to be offering these types of sessions now! Please click here for more information.
How did you get started and what drives your creativity to keep going?
I started my photography business by shooting as much as I could, at first of my friends and family, my travels, and at family events. I fell in love with it and I started to notice how much value my work was bringing to others. I loved what I was doing, but I realized that if I wanted to make a business out of it, I needed to improve. I didn’t have a lot of money, and I was already studying at school doing my masters at the time. Photography courses were out of the question, so I used the internet and learned how to shoot manual. I practiced and just kept shooting in my spare time. I started my website long before I was ready to start accepting clients, but I was determined to get better. Soon after I invested in better equipment and kept focused on learning as much as I could. My creativity comes from different places. I always feel really creative after traveling and I love fashion and the versatility of natural light. I’m always writing ideas down and looking to collaborate with others to keep my creative juices flowing.
Being new to the country, I am not very familiar with places and/or people to form relationships just yet. I’m also usually so busy with work and school that I don’t get the chance to do much personal shooting… Beyond that I am not fortunate enough to live in a supportive, or semi-quiet environment here in Canada… My work is not valued or appreciated by family and it slows down my creativity and how well I can come up with ideas. I wish I could break out of the funk it puts me in but it’s difficult, and I was wondering if you had any advice you could send my way. I know I’m a good photographer….but I’m trying to be a better, more well-rounded one, and this is one of the obstacles in my way. Another one is just the fear of not being ‘good enough’. I see many of my classmates branching out and taking excellent images, and I just don’t always feel as though I am in the same league.
Let me start by saying that these obstacles are not easy to overcome. But I challenge you to change your mindset about them. Don’t get me wrong, struggling with fear and comparison are incredibly difficult things to deal with. I admire your courage to ask for help and your desire to keep pushing through it. Some people face hardship and just quit, but clearly that’s not you. I think every single artist encounters some form of what you’re talking about. I still do sometimes (read more about it here). Being in a new place and juggling a bunch of things at school and in your personal life isn’t easy. As I mentioned above, I was in grad school and then law school up until last June while building my business at the same time. The thing about it is, everything you’re facing is a part of a greater story. Use what you have and make the best of it and stop comparing yourself to others. Comparison really is the thief of joy. It makes you feel empty and it can really make you feel low. If you’re looking for locations in a city my advice is use google to find some awesome places to shoot in your neighborhood. You could even use your evenings and weekends, whenever you’re not in class, to go scouting for locations. I do this, when I’m driving or out somewhere, I have a list in my phone of great intersections, shops, parks, parking garages, coffee shops or buildings that I think would look great in a shoot. I do this when I’m traveling too! Just in case, I’m lucky enough to return and shoot there one day. It’s great when a client contacts me or if I want to shoot a creative session, I can recommend places that I think would be a great fit. Another way to look at it is, since you are new to Canada, that means you’re going to be shooting at locations for the first time. That’s a positive since you’re portfolio will have new locations as opposed to the ones you used to shoot at back home. In terms of getting family support, I think that’s one you may have to accept. Your family can’t see your vision and they don’t share your passion. It may seem harsh, but it’s true. I’m sure they want you to be successful, but I recommend getting creative in other ways. Befriend and support like-minded creatives and small-business owners that “get it”. Use meetup.com and find people in your area that can inspire you and make you a better person and photographer. All in all, I really think you need to give yourself more credit and instead of comparing yourself to your classmates, compare your work to the work you did last year or last month. If you’ve improved, BE PROUD OF THAT! And if you feel like you’re skills have plateaued, then critique your work, change something, meet someone, and most importantly never stop trying.
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Thanks for all the questions! Send me more via email here or through social media and I’ll answer them in Ask Sam Anything: Part II.
