Nowadays, those humongous camera (normally with Nikon and Canon straps) are so reachable. You can get one at USD400 and you can start snapping beautiful photos.
I am one of them, but thankfully I am a little bit luckier.
So far, under the name of my small company, I did a photo job for one corporate dinner, took photos for a broadway musical company, and also designed the program books, posters and banners for the company’s broadway show. Not that much though, but it was good experience.
A little bit of advertising here- please visit my photo blog and call me if you are interested to hire me for you events! Need some pocket money here, pretty please.
I've been taking photos since forever.
From a simple film camera, I’ve upgraded to a few different cameras:
Yashica film camera – got dipped in the sea
Olympus Miu camera – got stolen after only the first film role
1MP first generation Olympus digital camera – got stolen in the bag I left outside the lecture hall. Never liked it anyway, it’s horribly huge, and the pictures were not clear, and the batteries die fast
2.1MP Panasonic Lumix – got spoilt, friend took it and repaired it and became his
5MP Minolta – passed to my mom, I’m tired of the fuzzy pictures at night and it has limited zoom
10MP Sony HX1 with 20 times zoom – sold off to a colleague. The camera is not fast enough
15MP Canon 500D – my brother helped me to sell it off. I prefer the number 550 compared to this 500
18MP Canon 550D – my current beloved camera.
One of the most unforgettable memories of taking pictures is when people really hated it when I took their pictures, on a birthday party. It doesn’t matter if the photos were nice, once they’ve put that label on you as the intruder, then that’s it. It gave me a scar and from that day onwards, I vowed that I will reach to the level of professional photography.
When handling with people who don’t really keen to be photographed, I have learned a few tricks. If it is going to be a great shot I shouldn't miss, and if it’s not illegal, I will try a different approach.
I will use Live View. By that, people don’t feel or notice as if a huge scary machine is probing on them.
I will do my business as quick as I can. The shorter the time, the less people will start to get agitated by the existence of my camera. But it is a challenge to take nice photos at only one or two snaps. You have to be right at the first time.
I also will say it clearly to my subjects- I only take nice photos. The not so nice ones will be trashed and I will make people look good. After taking shots, once a while I will let them see the results through the screen.
I can also use the telephoto zoom to take from a far comfortable distance and I push up the ISO to capture as much light.
And of course, I learn more and more on how to produce astounding images, so that people will feel assured to be in front of my camera.
I am still fortunate.
A year ago, common people used to hate me when I take their photos.
Today, celebrities flock in front of me wanting me to make them beautiful in my work.
It's not something I get that often in my life.
