Mistakes I Made When Starting Out as a Photographer

*Some of these are affiliate links that mean I’ll be compensated if you purchase the, so thanks for the support!This past week someone asks on social media for tips on doing photography. I am far from an expert in photography but I am always looking to help with any advice I could. Overall I think you should practice daily and create projects to improve your craft. However, the question made me think about the mistakes I made when I began doing photography. Below are several Mistakes I Made When Starting Out as a Photographer.

Avoid Vanity Metrics

One mistake I made early on through my journey into photography was focusing too much attention on Instagram. A large following on Instagram or other social media does not equate to success. Another issue with Instagram is that there have been a lot of reports of false statistics on the platform. I think it's better to use Instagram and social media to drive traffic to your website.

Build a Presence Through Social Media

Because Facebook owns Instagram and a lot of real estate in Social Media it's hard to avoid not having a presence there.Outside of Facebook, the following Social Media platforms might be less controversial choices:

• LinkedIn
• Youtube

Camera Gear:

Camera gear among creative professionals is very exciting to talk about. If you browse any photography or videography forums you'll come across a wide range of opinions on what brand is better to whether you should only buy prime vs zoom lenses. A large part of my gear purchases were influenced by other creators. However, these creators based their camera decisions on their creative needs that mattered to them. If I was learning photography today, I would spend the majority of time renting camera gear out before making a long term purchase.Ideally, if you know your niche of photography you can get gear that corresponds to that. Gear choices that you will make will differ based on the type of subject you choose to photograph. For instance, here are some examples of lenses that are good fits for certain areas of photography:Portraits:

• 85mm f1.8

Sports:

• 70-200mm f2.8

(The above are Canon links but most camera manufacturers make their own version of these lenses.)

Learn About Exposure:

When I started creating video content regularly, I found how important reading a histogram was. Learning about how aperture, iso, and shutter control the looks and feel of your image is very important. Also, learning on how much editing photos in post such as correcting white balance and correcting composition issues are important in the editing process. My recommendation if you're just starting out, try shooting in manual mode a few times.

Focus on the End Product:

In photography, I don't think another attention is given to the business end of running this type of business. How are you going to actually deliver a final product to clients are questions that should be asked early on. This also affects other freelancers like Copywriters, Videographers, and others.Options for platforms to delivery photos projects to clients are:

• DropBox
• GoogleDrive
• Pixieset

Summary: Mistakes I Made When Starting Out as a Photographer:

In conclusion, I hope this article was insightful if you're looking into getting into photography. In addition to the above, I would recommend that you constantly create or take on projects to practice your craft.

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Tuesday Snapshots: Shad Thames

An afternoon exploring Shad Thames.[su_custom_gallery source="media: 5215" link="lightbox" width="500" height="300"]Original Instagram Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Lc20wAwdT/

How to Prepare to Travel Abroad

Whenever I haven't traveled in a while, I always forget the important things I should bring when taking an international trip. Besides dealing with customs and arriving three hours before your flight, there are special considerations to factor when preparing to go abroad. Below are tips on how to prepare to travel abroad.

Confirm Travel Documents

For international travel, passports are generally required to enter a country. However, in addition to needing a passport, some countries require you to have a visa to enter the country. An example of some countries that require you to have a visa in addition to a passport are:

• Australia
• China
• Nepal
• Sri Lanka

Check out cibtvisas.com for a full list of countries that require an additional visa for international travel.

Create a Checklist

The following is a list of items I make sure to obtain when traveling:

• Cell Phone Charger
• Cash
• Debit / Credit cards
• Electrical Adapters
• Headphones
• Pack Medications
• Portable charger
• Travel Sim Card

Entertainment Media

This is usually the fun part of traveling. Most likely you're going to be stuck on an airplane for several hours. Instead of letting the airline decide what movie you're going to watch, download some shows or movies that you never got around to watching.

Additional Tips

In addition to the above, obtaining key items before an overseas trip can save a lot of time. For instance, if possible order a prepaid sim for your destination. This will help in avoiding any long lines when you reach your destination. Also, obtaining spare cash in the destination country's currency before leaving for your trip. This makes it easier in finding the best exchange rates for your funds rather than dealing with high fees at an airport.

Summary: How to Prepare to Travel Abroad

To wrap up, I think having a list to prepare can relieve a lot of anxiety when traveling abroad. It's also always helpful to have backup copies of any important travel documents just in case the originals get lost. In closing, I would love to know some of the methods that you've used when preparing for international trips?

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Toxic Social Media and the Instagram Problem

Instagram is a fun platform to use. However, I have been noticing how toxic it is becoming to use. Why is this important? It comes down to brands and businesses placing importance on influencer marketing. The goals for most Influencers are sponsorships. In order to obtain those sponsorship deals they require:

• Substantial Following
• Content Creation Skills

Above all of these, I think having a massive following is ranks highest in what a brand is looking for. Because having a big following means you have social proof and an audience.Outside of influencers, Instagram is huge for small businesses. In addition, to many users spending time on the platform, Instagram has an enormous ad product that contributes to a lot of Facebook's revenue.

Addictive Nature

When I label Instagram as toxic I'm more referring to the platform's addictive qualities. Twitter is toxic for reasons related to negativity. With Instagram, there seems to be a system in place that wants to keep you locked into the app and constantly spend all your time there. There's constant messaging that entices you to turn on notifications. Almost all apps have the typical red notification dot that catches your attention.

Mass Story Viewing

Youtube creator Sam Sheffer recently did a video on a large number of random accounts viewing his Instagram stories. This has become a trend in the last couple of months where users who don't follow your account suddenly are now viewing your stories. These accounts were using mass story viewing automation app. Hacks like these are methods used to get your Instagram account discovered and in the hopes of obtaining more followers.

False Statistics

The problem with Facebook/Instagram is that the platform at times seems very untrustworthy. There was an article published by the hollywoodreporter.com that reported of a settlement paid to advertisers. The settlement described that Facebook had overblown the metrics on for video content.

Summary: Toxic Social Media and the Instagram Problem

In conclusion, I am in no way done with Social Media. However, with all the false metrics on the platform and algorithm issues, I definitely feel like it's time to take a break. I think if you're building a business social media is an effective strategy to have your business be a part of. At the least, I would like to see social media platforms validate their systems more thoroughly. I personally think it's time for a new platform that embraces creativity and supports creators.

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