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
ASHLEY SMITH: HOW FREAKIN' FUN! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THAT WHIPPED MUSTACHE! I JUST WANT TO THROW MY NEXT BIRTHDAY PARTY LIKE THAT! GRABBING MY GIRLS AND GOING TO MAKE MUSTACHES..ASAP! :-) (March 8, 2011 11:10 pm)
S Jessica deal: What a remarkable set of images!!! SUCH a creative concept! (February 10, 2011 4:53 pm)
Sofia: I realy admire your skills as a photografher. So many beautiful pictures you have tagen! (January 18, 2011 1:13 am)
Kahulani: Lara you are incredible, a gift to the world of art and photography. (December 29, 2010 11:54 am)
Chris Fawkes: Awesome, as usual. (December 28, 2010 4:28 am)
Jakojax: WOW! just amazing!!!!! really good ideas ! a wonderful work! keep going! (December 27, 2010 5:57 pm)
Brigitte Duong: The photo of her licking off the mustache is just amazing! But great job on all the photos they are just amazing! (December 27, 2010 5:26 pm)
Samantha Nandez: Love it! High fashion meets 5 year old birthday party. Flawlessly done. (December 27, 2010 5:25 pm)
Andrew: Congrats! :D (December 27, 2010 5:24 pm)