Looking Inward

The winter is always a time of introspection for me. As a people photographer, it is often a slower time of year, since not many people are getting married in the dead of winter (though I’d really love to shoot a winter wedding in someplace like Asheville–hint, hint). As a part of looking inward, setting goals for the coming year, and charting a course, it is also a good time to work on technique, to try some new processing, to analyze your shooting style.  Because of the cold and the short days, I have been taking the time to work on using studio lights, specifically in small spaces. Since finding someone willing to be subjected to studio strobes and fiddling can be sometimes hard to find, I took the opportunity to try out some self-portraits.  Some serious, some not so much…

I think it’s important to take the time to periodically look at what you are shooting, how you are shooting, and when you are shooting.  It’s important to try to look at themes in your work, to refine and develop your look. It’s also a good time of year to make sure your portfolio is looking good and your blog is up to date–I’m knocking one of those out right now, and the other I’ll be working on shortly!

The best part of taking the time to teach yourself something is when you get the results you want, when you end up with a photo or a set of photos that realizes what you had envisioned.  And then, once you understand how to light your background, or to let it go dark, you can apply it to other things, other people… and once you’ve done that, you have added another trick to your bag, which never hurts.