I get many e-mails per week asking for advice on photography and the industry – as much as I would love to reply to everything my lifestyle has been incredibly busy the past few months and answering every question would take me at a good few hours per week. Which is why I wanted to write this post, hopefully this’ll help – answer your questions or inspire you.
1. Photography is an art form – use it as a vice for your creativity, let your ideas flow and capture them within your camera. Don’t follow other people, think about how many new ideas and ways of capturing ideas there is in the world – let everything around you inspire you, take in the energy around you. If you’re angry – capture anger, If you’re sad, capture emotion and if you’re happy – use this to your advantage, capture beauty, life, even dreams.
2. If you’re starting out – remember the golden rule is to practice, practice will always make perfect. Practice capturing your friends, your thoughts, write/sketch your ideas, don’t be scared to try new things, you’re allowed to make trial and error – even top photographers do personal work to test for trial and error. Starting photography will always be a hard journey to start but once you get going, the path seems a lot easier from then on. The most important thing is not to stop, because people that stay in one place will stagnate, a little like water. If you keep going, you will eventually reach the sea.
3. Have realistic goals. Don’t try to be the next Steven Meisel or Annie Leiboviz right away, it’s not going to happen. It has taken years for the top photographers to get where they are and a lot of hard work and effort. Believe me, sticking to realistic ideas is the best way to progress. Lately I’ve had a lot of e-mails asking me about how to go about getting representation after shooting for a few months – this is a difficult one to answer. The simple answer is wait. The reason – because you don’t want to throw yourself into something you’re not ready for yet – you need to build yourself a style, get known for that and most importantly start earning money for it.
4. Keep challenging yourself – want to try a new concept but to scared to do it? Question why it would be good for you – will it improve you, or will it just keep you in the same place. Try new shoots.
5. You don’t need the best equipment to get the best photographs. I have had SO many e-mails asking what equipment I use and to recommend equipment because there’s is ‘not good enough’. For years I shot on a Canon 5d and before that a point and shoot. The reason I shoot on the Canon 5dmkII right now is because of the quality I need for the clients I work for.
6. Don’t be put off by criticism. Encourage to be criticized but only if it’s constructive, you need to know what you’re doing right and wrong. The best way to do this is have opinions from people that know what their are talking about. Most likely if you send your work to top photographer’s e-mails, they will not reply. Why? Not because they don’t like you but because their schedule is so full they can’t answer questions like that – they simply don’t have the time. When I started, I used websites such as DeviantART and Flickr – I built myself around the communities and relied on like minded people to guide me, it helped a lot.
7. If you have an idea, do it. No excuses!
8. Be inspired – as a photographer you NEED to be inspired. I am inspired by everything around me. Read, write, watch movies, look at the older masters in paintings – visit a museum, go to a fashion show, share ideas with friends. This will generate exciting concepts!
9. People have this idea in their head that photographers like me are rich – you’re not thinking correctly here. I just know where to invest my money into portfolio work and equipment and I still live at home as I’m in-between moving, this means I can travel and do the things I enjoy right now. Be wise, invest money in your work – it’s important.
10. Nothing ever come without hard work – if you put in the effort, you’ll start seeing results.
LJ xox
fiorentina: and please let me know when you want to do another workshops. (August 21, 2011 8:06 am)
fiorentina: I would really love to come to your courses. please come to jakarta :( i need to learn a lot of things from you. (August 21, 2011 8:05 am)
PhotoAlbert: I like last picture. Great Work (June 4, 2011 12:08 pm)
rosa T: greetings, Lara jade, your work is so creative and inspiring the emotions you evoke throughout your images are profound. please let me know when you will be doing some workshops in london (March 4, 2011 3:37 pm)
melanie - m boutique photography: I'm so there ffor Toronto or NYC...ca't wait to get some news... (February 23, 2011 8:26 am)
Annie: Come to Toronto. Please! It'll be amazing if you did - you've been my inspiration for my photography! (February 7, 2011 11:25 am)
Chris Fawkes: Keep me posted if you add Melbourne to your list. (February 4, 2011 8:07 am)
Sofia: I'm blown away by your work! Please let me know when you'll be holding a workshop in NYC and the price. Thanks! (February 3, 2011 9:51 am)
Tori: You are an amazing photographer and this looks rather exciting and fun to do. Haha, I have no skills in fashion but it would be sweet to take a workshop of yours when I'm older. :) (January 22, 2011 12:54 am)
Samantha: I really hope to one day get to experience a workshop of yours, you are so inspiring! Come out to Western Canada, we're you're biggest fans ;) (I'm sure without a doubt people would be clamoring to get you all set-up to come here too, haha) (January 21, 2011 8:34 am)
Steven Paul: Please let me know when you will have a workshop in NYC USA... I would like to attend and not miss it, maybe you can talk joey L to join in and make it a double header workshop or something... that would be fun... lol (January 14, 2011 5:23 pm)
Kel: These workshops seem like such a great idea, especially going through the ins and outs of organizing a shoot, not just the actual shooting.. because that can be the most difficult part of the whole process. (January 7, 2011 4:10 am)
Miriam: uha! I want to join your next workshop. I will now be visiting your blog every day to see when the next workshop will be ;) (January 5, 2011 2:36 am)
Kathy: Come to houston,tx plz I love your work! (January 4, 2011 10:13 pm)
Lizet: i would love to join a course once... maybe someday!! (January 2, 2011 1:48 pm)
Taylor Jackson: Lara if you come to toronto I'll be the first one to sign up! (December 31, 2010 4:54 pm)
Kiara Black: I'm hopefull I can come to London when you'll make the next workshops there. Would love to book one of your workshops there. (December 31, 2010 2:44 pm)
Justine: I am so excited to hear that you are hoping to add Toronto as one of your destinations for a workshop. I hope it lands on a day that I can make it. I have admired your photography and business for years. It would be a dream come true! (December 31, 2010 2:26 pm)