FAQ - How to start in a photography career?

We've had this question a few times so I thought I'd share some info. about our background in photography & how some ideas of to get started in a career in photography.

That's cool you are planning on pursuing photography. It's a wonderful job - you may be thinking.... 'point-shoot- how hard is it?' This is literally what Matt said to me the first night we met & I told him I was a photographer. Luckily he has a charming Aussie accent & was pretty cute so the evening progressed :) My education has spanned many years & sources & continues everyday. I have a degree in Fine Arts with a major in photography (BFA) from U of C - you can also take a program at ACAD or courses at SAIT. After my degree I assisted for years for various different types of photographers (food, architecture, lifestyle & stock, commercial & weddings) trying to figure out which aspect of photography I wanted to focus on. I eventually become a studio manager of a commercial photography studio for 2 years, which taught be a lot about the business of photography & the proper way of quoting for jobs, pricing & the overhead of running a business. I learned more from assisting other photographers than I did in any courses - though having the education was what got me the jobs in the 1st place. I also took night classes in Photoshop as that area is constantly evolving & a now huge part of being a photographer. We attend seminars every year put on by photographers we respect & have travelled in Canada & the US to learn about the constantly changing art & technology of photography.

Matt approached photography completely differently. He has taken no formal training or courses in photography & was literally thrown into it after we met. He spent a few years carrying around gear & learning what, when & how to capture images. With shooting weddings you have to be prepared for every & anything & have back up plans A, B & C. As his familiarity with equipment, lighting & composition grew he began shooting. It was a few years after assisting me that he felt knowledge enough & comfortable shooting on his own. With photography you need to be confident that no matter what the weather, timelines, lighting & situation is, you can deal with it & get the shot. With weddings there are no do-overs - you have to get it right no matter what the situation or obstacles. Throughout these years Matt also had a full time job so we could pay the mortgage & eat :) It was in Sept. of 2007 that he quit his job & committed his skills & talents to f.8 photography full time so we could operate the photography business together. It was getting to be way to much for me to run the business on my own while raising 2 kids & having a husband who's energy & time was being drained at a dead end day job.

Photography has been an exhilarating, terrifying, joyful, expensive & rewarding career. I do it because I love it & when I got my first film camera at 19 years old I knew it was what I was meant to do. It is not an easy career choice & it can take years before you make any money - thats why for most people it's a hobby & they do it for the love of photography, not the money. If you're interested in photography it's a great start to read your camera's manual, take your camera off auto - set it to manual & learn how to use it properly. Shoot lots - shoot everything & practice, practice, practice until the shots you are seeing in your mind & trying to create are what you are able to capture in camera. Take some photography courses & find someone to learn from who's work you love & inspires you. Attend seminars or even take an online photography course (I have heard through the grapevine that this is possible, though haven't tried it myself).

I can only tell you what worked for me & for Matt - ask other photographers as well - they may have gone down different paths - but there's no quick route to success if you're serious about being a photographer. It takes a lot of passion, patience & constant progression - the technology is always changing & there's lots of competition out there, determination is key.

I hope this helps if you're thinking of starting a career in photography. Matt & I have been exploring the idea of doing a 1 or 2 day seminar on photography - would anyone be interested in attending something like that at the studio? We're just in the very begining stages of exploring it & would love to see if there's any interest out there for it. Please let us know.

Have a great day & good luck!

* The photo is a snap shot a friend of ours took of Matt & I while we were shooting a wedding on Eagle Eye mountain in Golden BC. We do love our jobs!