What Kind of Photographer Do I Want to Be?

There are essentially 4 phases to being an artist.

There is the hobbyist, the student phase, the professional and then the… well, lets call it the decision phase. The decision phase comes after you studied and learned to master the things you’ve leaned (though this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a master of your craft).

At some point you have to decide what sets you apart from everyone else. What kind of artist do you want to be? Are you commercial, conventional, eclectic, niche?

Maternity shoot.

Most of my photography career was spent as a hobbyist. I never really thought I would ever be good enough. That changed a few years ago when I started using youtube as a learning tool. Eventually I found Jason Lanier’s channel. I’ve learned so much from Jason, starting with the idea that I could be a professional photographer. I could be good enough.

I am a huge admirer of Jason’s work, both as a wedding and style photographer. He’s a master of concept, light and posing. I would love to be half as good as he is.

But at the same time, I don’t want to be another Jason Lanier.

Shot at my first wedding.

In the last month, I have shot my first wedding and my first maternity shoot. The experiences went fine and I am happy to do both and learn more.

But in both cases, I found that I bristle against the commercial aspect of it.

Take the image below from my maternity shoot.

Mom looks amazing.

Is it great? From a technical standpoint, yes. Mom looks beautiful. Composition is solid. Great colors. We even got that rare Golden Hour lighting (it doesn’t happen much in SE Louisiana).

This is the shoot the Mother wanted and I am happy to do that work that will make her happy.

The problem is that it doesn’t set me apart. There is nothing about that photograph that tells you I did it.

And this isn’t me complaining. I would love to capture your special moments in whatever fashion you like. As someone who wants to make a living as a photographer, I want you to be satisfied. But I also want you to walk away with at least a few images that could only have come from me.

I’ll pose you properly so that I can capture you in the best light possible, but I also want to get the shot where you’re off guard and looking at the person you love the way you look at them when its just the two of you.

As artists, we have to do the commercial work to live. But beyond that, we also need to express ourselves creatively if we’re to put out our best work.

When it comes down to it, I’m a storyteller. I’m at my happiest and my most creative when my work says something about my subject.

That’s the kind of artist I want to be.

My favorite image of the Bride.