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The 6 biggest lessons that I have learned as a photographer

Mamma with baby in a sling looking to the distance

I remember back in the 1990s receiving  my first camera.  It was metallic blue and I was fascinated popping the film, willing to reach the magic 24 or 36 end of film!  Equally, I took immense pride filling in the details on the Truprint form and posting it off, waiting eagerly for their return.

Wow, how times  have changed!  We are so lucky to have cameras and phones with us for most of the  day!  In reality, we can capture photographs and add filters in a few taps of a mobile phone.  With that in mind I want to share with you the six biggest lessons that I have learned as a photographer over the years.

  1.  THE RATE OF CHANGE WILL NEVER SLOW

Let’s be honest, time is never going to slow down is it?  There will never be enough hours in the day so embrace the speed of life and capture  those moments.  Ironically, I believe that this helps me to slow time down!  At the end of every week, I love to gaze through all the photographs I have taken as  it reminds me of the amazing things I have done!  With this in mind, do you have a to do list with regular reminders on your mobile phone?  Add taking everyday photos to your list!

PS – If you want a list of useful to do list apps, check these ones out:

Great to do list apps

  1. TECHNOLOGY IS BAD AND GOOD

Who doesn’t wish that they spent less time with technology?  In reality, it’s a daily battle I fight.  Sometimes I win, sometimes I don’t!  From a photography perspective, technology is amazing  in allowing us to store photographs whilst at the same time allowing us to come up with creative ways to showcase them via the various apps and programs on the market.  Just reflect on how far phones have come on since your first mobile phone!!  One of my most significant lessons though is to remember that technology isn’t everything, it cannot replace an experience.  In addition, it is also useful to put the camera down and observe through our own internal camera, our beautiful eyes.

  1. ITS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT SMILING

Most of my clients, especially those with children prefer  to see smiley faces.  Don’t get me wrong, smiles are great but actually some of the best photographs show other emotions.  A baby sleeping reflects  peacefulness, a child gazing into Mum’s eyes illustrates true love.  I have learned to not always shout ‘say cheeeese’ as it’s not always going to produce an amazing image. In addition, not everyone likes having their face photographed.  That’s ok too, there is always another angle and perspective to bear in mind.

  1. MEETING NEW PEOPLE AND HELPING THEM ALONG THEIR PHOTOGRAPHY JOURNEY FEELS WONDERFUL

This has been my most impactful lesson.  Hand on heart,  I am actually doing a job that I love, working with fantastic people whilst at the same time inspiring them to become better photographers too.  I’ve 100% positive feedback from all of my clients who say I have educated them in some way along their own photography journey.  For this reason, if you take just one thing from this blog make it this, celebrate what you do in life as it is short so make it count.

Feedback from my clients

  1. APPRECIATING THE SMALL

It’s brilliant to go large but actually sometimes we forget to go small!  In the attractive Saddleworth scenery, it is tempting to go large with landscape photographs rather than to reign in on smaller objects such as a beautiful, fresh flower in the field, a baby duckling following the canal or, one of my favourites, a dry stone wall!  On other words, focus in and watch what occurs.

  1. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BE IN PICTURES TOO!

I am GUILTY as much as the next and so it is something that I work on constantly.  I don’t  always feel that I want to be in a photograph right now.  For this reason  I’ve learned not to let the moment pass by and I certainly don’t want to be one of those Mums who when their children are older ask why Mummy is not in many photographs.  I’ve heard all of the excuses before.  I’ll just lose some weight, I’ll come after holiday…  Challenge yourself to appear in more photographs and embrace it.  In fact, why not take a look at my selfie tips for a sprinkle of inspiration?

6 tips for the perfect selfie

If I have inspired you to celebrate your family life through photography, why not contact me for an informal, complimentary chat to see if I can help.

 

 

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Three quick tips to encourage you to take more photographs now!

First of all, how often do you say to yourself phrases such as:

  • There is always tomorrow…
  • I’m too busy
  • No way can I do it – I hate having my photograph taken
  • I can’t take a decent photograph so consequently I am not in many!

I get it.  Honestly I do.

As a busy Mum of two, I have a daily battle with the above excuses but I find time to take at least one photograph every day because I know I will regret it if I don’t.  It is worth it when I create gems like this.  Here are just a few of my personal favourites when it comes to illustrating Victoria’s personality.  She certainly lives up to the meaning of her name – able to analyze, understand and learn.

It’s about the everyday things not just the big events!

Do you have children?  It is never too late to capture those special moments that happen every day. Celebrate key milestones and first experiences.  There are many milestone cards you can buy online that may be a good prompt for you.

Don’t have kids?  Document the many new things in life such as ski lessons,  a trip to a new bar, whatever!

Rather than just pulling your camera out for the significant events, I challenge you to take photographs on a more regular basis.

Remember, backing up those photographs and  removing them from phones and tablets is JUST as important.  Also, if you haven’t already read my blog on categorising photos , then take five minutes to read it now!

http://www.inspiredbyjoseph.com/categorising-photos/

Three top tips from Inspired By Joseph Photography!

So, my top tips for remembering to take photographs are:

Firstly, find the time on a regular basis – just recall some of the brilliant photographs you have from the past to help!  Look past the excuses and take action now.

Furthermore, give yourself prompts to help remind you, such as milestone cards.

Finally, back up and print out your existing photographs to serve as a reminder of the power of photography.

I am here to help.

So, to conclude, what’s the biggest challenge you face taking photographs of you and your family?  Reply in the comments section below as I’d love to hear from you and promise to reply to all posts.