Becoming the Best Photographer- Guest Post by Brittany Arjune.

Emerging from Intimidation

       Hi! I’m Brittany, a first year studying photography and design. I guess this would be my perspective on starting out with photography (Mind you, I`m no expert!). Recently I`ve been pushing myself to actually get somewhere with my photos. I’m still hesitant to call myself a “photographer” because it’s such a big role to fulfill!

Basic tips that helped me grow the most: 

• Ask, Ask, Ask! 
• Be inspired by everything (and stay inspired!)
• Be willing to learn from others
• Teach yourself 
• Crave constructive criticism
• Always be willing to try what frustrates you
• Take everything as a learning experience
• Work with what you have 
• You should never have an excuse for not being able to make a photo happen

       I`ve always been really intimidated by photography, actually, I still am, but I love it. I find that by

investing myself into it more every day, whether it`s writing down ideas or watching a photoshoot take place, I want to learn more and try it myself! 

       Most people who start out in photography are inspired but lose that drive when they experience writers block or stop after one bad photoshoot. DON`T LET THAT STOP YOU!

       When starting out, you wanna try to find any events that will give you an opportunity to shoot and to experiment to understand which type of photographer you are (ex. editorial, conceptual, nature, ect.). 

       I’ve found that the right setting really helps you to grow creatively with your work. I’ve begun working with my friends (all art majors) from using them as models, or even them giving me tips and ideas. Don’t underestimate what sort of connections family and friends might have! They also really help by supporting you!

       Keeping in touch with another photographer (or several) will help you not only to become better

and stay motivated, but to also build a network and friendship. You`ll only gain more experience by helping each other out!

      Start small. It’s intimidating, but everyone has to start somewhere. You learn from the good AND bad, not just the good. Don’t let any opportunity pass you by, big OR small. Make it happen for yourself. Writing this article right now is an opportunity for me! All it came from was a simple message asking, “This is a link to my work, do you think you’d be able to tell me what you think?” 

       A phone camera, a notebook, and your creativity should be your best friend. Keeping a sketchbook is really helpful to document ideas, photoshoot concepts and just anything that will inspire you because once you forget it, you will regret it! 

       Everyone has a “creative hour”; find yours! I found mine this year sadly is 2-3AM. It’s when I’m the most inspired, full of energy, and simply HAVE to try something like a set up or a self-portrait … while my family questions why I can’t just sleep like a

normal person. (Life of an art student!)

       My goals always change. I started out small, trying to shoot everyday (which never worked out), creating a photo bucket list, to self-teaching myself new things about the world of photography. Once I got into a routine with my photos, I started making bigger goals like creating a facebook page and submitting photos for publications.

       I have two major goals that I want to achieve by the end of the summer. The first is to better understand how to plan and execute conceptual photography (Any tips anyone?). The second one is to work on as many collaboration projects and photoshoots that I can make happen! 

       Hopefully this was a bit of a useful perspective! I wish you all the best of luck on your work! Send me a `hi` anytime! I`d love to learn from you all! You can connect with me on Facebook! Click here!

Thank you so much for this opportunity to make a post Brian! I really feel honoured  

Happy shooting,

-Brittany Arjune

Hi! My name’s Brittany, a current university student studying Photography and Design in the Art History major at UTM. I’ve been falling in love with every aspect of photography and hope to continue learning more about it everyday. I currently shoot with a Nikon D5000, but I respect all Canon brands too! There’s nothing more amazing than capturing a moment in time and knowing you created that!Feel free to connect via other social media’s!
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brittanyarjune/ 
Instagram: @Briichan