Child Photographer

Finding the right child photographer can be a real uphill struggle. On the surface, most child portrait photographers seem to do about the same thing. They have your child pose in front of a conventional backdrop, have him or her say cheese, and snap a picture. In reality, however, there is much more going on. There is an amazing difference between good child photographers and bad ones.

You can always tell a bad child photographer by one distinct feature of all of their work: soft focus. Child photographers who have no talent love the soft focus. Basically, soft focus is a way for photographers to make something or someone look good by removing most of the details of the image. You still get that smile, but it is blurred to give the whole picture that stoned and beatific look that is so popular among portrait takers. Basically, unless it is a very light touch, soft focus is awful. A good child photographer will use this technique as little as possible unless instructed by the parents to overdo it.

One of the most important qualifications for anyone who is going to take pictures of your child or family is that they know how to work with people. Being a child photographer is not just about proficiency in film technique. It is about much more. A lot of the trick with child photography is just getting the child to smile. Getting the right smile, and knowing when the smile is right, is what a good portrait photographer needs. Almost any child photographer can set up the lights correctly, get the child say cheese, and snap a picture. It takes a good one to snap the picture at just the right moment, and to get the child to loosen up. If the child feels loose, relaxed, and comfortable with the photographer, he or she will give you a much better smiled.

If you want to become a child photographer, there is very little that you need besides equipment. Learning basic film techniques is pretty easy – you could probably do it in about six months. The real problem is that you have to hustle to be a child photographer. There are so many people, after all, that can do it. Usually they make their living by staking out a particular community. Until you have the contact base built up, it will be a difficult way to make a living.

Fashion Photography

I first got interesting in taking pictures when I was about 10 years old. Back then, I thought I would be an Ansel Adams photographer. I loved his landscapes, as almost all young kids do, and it got me dreaming about the great adventures I could have, taking beautiful pictures all over the country. Through the years, my dream has changed somewhat a couple of times. I used to want to be an artistic photographer in high school, and that fascination lasted for quite a few years. I knew that I would have to take some time as a wedding photographer or something like that to make ends meet, but I never expected it to be a career. It seemed like just a step on my path.

I never expected to be a fashion photographer until I found myself suddenly answering to that job description. Fashion photography was just a lucrative side project. The only problem was that it was too lucrative. If you can break into the field, taking fashion photographs can make you a lot of money. Most famous fashion photographers make thousands of dollars every single day just from snapping a few pictures. Although I am not that caliber of fashion photographer, it pays much better than anything else I could do. The problem is that it pays too well.

When I took up fashion photography, it didn't pay very well at all. I had no idea how to become a fashion photographer, and as a result my business suffered. I couldn't make the contacts I needed, and my models were mostly nobodies who could only afford to pay me a little bit. Then I hooked up with a high-profile fashion photographer, I finally was taught the tricks of the trade. I realized that I could make a lot of money as a fashion photographer, and I decided to put off art school for another year or two while I worked at it. It was meant to be a temporary step, but somehow 10 years have passed and I'm still at it. Maybe one day I will get into serious art photography, but for the time being this is where I'll stay.

Besides the money, there are a lot of good things about being a fashion photographer. You get to meet a lot of interesting people including fashion models, fashion designers, and celebrities of all sorts. It definitely isn't a bad life, but it isn't the life I dreamed of originally. I guess things could have turned out worse!