Alright, I want to start this weeks post with an apology. The last couple posts have been gloomy, “grim”, and down right a bummer. It’s spring time, the sun is out here in the PNW (at least more than it rains like usual), and so many things are coming to life. So I do apologize for being such a bummer lately, and I’ll be trying my best to see the positives in life (even from any potential negatives that may arise).
Just recently I was asked to shoot Prom photos for a friend of mine. Her son is in his senior year of High School, and she’s been trying to capture as many moments of his youth before it’s gone. I gladly took the opportunity to try my hand at more “model/posed” photography, even with being nervous as all get out. I really was excited, but my nervousness came from the fact that I haven’t done a whole lot of posed photography, and the little I have done I was blatantly aware of the shortcomings I had during the entire shoot. One of which is that I have no previous experience in how an individual should pose, another is that I don’t have on or off camera flashes to use, and the last being that I usually struggle in locations that I’ve never seen or been to before. Even with all that against me though, I was able to pull off some of the best “model” photos I feel I’ve ever shot to date.
How I went about concurring those previous struggles was that I built up as much confidence as I could and I forged ahead professionally. I ran positions and compositions based off of the natural/available light in my head, before instructing my “models” with what to do and where to go. As soon as I pulled out my camera, I examined my surroundings for possible backdrops, while still allowing for Natural events to unfold and what those backdrops could potentially look as an image. I also (unknowingly) was able to keep the mood fun and easy, which made it so that no one was rigged/stiff or felt like they needed to 100% pose for the camera all the time, they could just enjoy the moment and stop for a posed shot sporadically.
In the end, my nerves were washed away, I got into a groove, and the photos I came away with are loved by all parties involved. I accomplished a goal, continuing to try my best to become a better event/portrait photographer. There’s still a VERY long way to go, and a lifetime of information to learn about how to become even better within that field. But I did it, I started something even though I was nervous, I worked my way through it, and I produced images that will be cherished for years and years to come. I know that it won’t always work out that way, there will be clients that I just won’t be able to please and I’ll need to work through that when the time comes, but even that won’t ever come to be if it wasn’t for the fact that I tried and put effort towards becoming an event/portrait photographer in the first place.
I have so many new opportunities coming up soon, and I wish I could list them all here now, but they’ll have to be written about as they come to pass. I can say that most of those opportunities will come from working with a little ol’ magazine called True Northwest Magazine, and that shooting photography will only be the tip of the iceberg with that adventure. So stay tuned and be ready to see a whole new version of Grimlock Media as it evolves.
I hope you have a fantastic rest of the week, that you get to go enjoy the sunshine, and that you’ll continue to join me for more posts in the future.
Until next time, I’ll catch y’all later.
Andrew Hoyle - Grimlock Media
(A final note before you go: If you do enjoy the content that I post, whatever and wherever that may be, I want to say Thank You. It is my goal to one day move away from my current full time job as a crane operator, so that I may focus more attention on photography/writing/video production and other related projects. I’ve created a Patreon account where people can sign up to support me with future endeavors. I’ll post the link below, and again I want to say Thank You for your continued support.)
Patreon - https://patreon.com/GrimlockMedia
