Being a professional photographer these days is not easy. Everyone with a camera is out to make money, and the industry is saturated. However, despite this, there are some serious — and sometimes serendipitous — perks to the job.
Are you tired of seeing your peers gain more followers than you on Instagram? Does it always feel like you're behind everyone else on a technical level, or that maybe you don't get the respect you deserve? Well, I've got the perfect solution for you.
It really doesn't matter if you make excellent images that make your clients look their best, or that they're using your creative brain and technical mastery to sell their product. Clients deserve massive discounts, and, sometimes you just need to give them a load of images for free because they feel that they did you a favor that one time — conveniently forgetting all the other free and massively discounted commercial images you gave them.
I was all set. I had the vision, I had some new gear, and I was determined to make a solid start on my road to becoming a videographer. Then, I got here, and it all went a bit pear-shaped.
As creative professionals, the ability to pivot, both in business and creatively, can be a life-changing experience. I might be at that stage now and I've no clue as to where this will will lead to.
For a lot of people who aren't in the film industry, it might see like filmmaking is all kinds of fun and glamour. Peer just a little bit behind the curtain, though, and you'll realize just how complex and stressful that life can be.
When we are children, we have an innate desire to seek validation from our parents or our teachers. Probably because we think that they know best, that they are bastions of knowledge — and in that context, they essentially are. But what is the purpose of seeking validation from others when we are adults?
Working in film will often challenge your resourcefulness and creativity. While much of what we see on the silver screen these days is shot with a massive crew using huge green screen sets, and elaborate and expensive lighting, you don't need an elaborate production to create a film that's visually rich.
In the process of creating good content for their clients, creative professionals often have to use their knowledge and experience to come up with solutions to problems on set. But what if you don't have a set?
On the 2nd of April Alien Skin Software announced the release of a major update to their already feature rich non-destructive raw photo editor, Exposure X4. The new update, Exposure X4.5, promises some meaty new enhancements.
For many, a creative hobby or endeavor acts as buffer against the strains of everyday life. But for some, it's a lot more than that — it's a way to find just a little bit of peace in a world that's been turned upside down, often in tragic ways.
If you've often been shooting in what seems like dramatic light only to get back to your computer and realize that the images are kind of so so, then you're not alone. However, in certain situations, what seems like a dull and unimpressive image might just need a little tweaking to take it to another level.
Up-selling is part and parcel of the wedding and portrait photography business. Many photographers depend on these selling techniques to generate a decent income. But similar opportunities can be found in the commercial genre — you just need to know how to target them.
People often confuse Lightroom for being a sort of “Photoshop Light,” but that couldn't be further from reality. Optimization issues aside, it's an a relatively flexible program that can do a bit more than just edit raw images.
"Good artists copy, great artists steal" was a quote famously uttered by Steve Jobs, who attributed it to Pablo Picasso. But, like many aphorisms like it, the quote has many origin stories. So, who really was the original creator? Well, it's complicated.
Self-expression can be a powerful way to help one cope with mental anguish. Painting and music are often used as a tools for rehabilitation, be they for physical or mental illnesses, and photography is no different.
Running a photography business, or even just posting to social media as an amateur, can end up driving some of us crazy with worry and anxiety. I'm one of these people, but thanks to friends, family, and my own doggedness I've learned some ways to cope with the madness.
When it comes to self-employment, the term "freelancer" is a bit of a dirty word in the creative industry. For many, the word is synonymous with low income, little appreciation, and, for some, a lack of creative freedom. It's no wonder that many creatives — especially photographers — are increasingly going down a different route.
Ah yes, the reductive binary statement. This quote comes up a lot. In fact, when I typed it into Google I got over one billion search results. Do people really live by this? Well, yes and no.
Getting started in Photoshop is a daunting process. It's a deep program that has many functions, and this is probably why it doesn't have most intuitive interface. The best way to start is to just dive right in, so here are a few tips for the uninitiated.
