When I started photography over a decade ago as a hobby, I never imagined it would turn into a business. Now that I am the owner and photographer of Willow Bee Photography, I am humbled at how much progress I have made over the years. I had an eye for photography when I began, but when I got an awesome shot, it was mainly due to luck. Now when I get a great shot, it's due the years of practice and honing of my skills. Does that mean photography is easy for me now? Of course not! There are still many challenges, but I continue to learn and grow from them.
Let't go back to 2016, a mere 3 years ago. At that point, photography had been my hobby for 7 years, and I was just starting to think of it as a profession. At the time I thought my photos were pretty darn good. However looking back at sessions I did that year, it's clear I wasn't as strong of a photographer as I thought I was! I found a lot to criticize. Below, I have compared my 2016 Christmas session with my 2019 Christmas session.
To be fair, it was a very grey, dark, dreary day when I did the 2016 session. That is something I could not control. What I could control was choosing to wait for a better day, like the beautiful, crisp, bright day I had for the 2019 session. The most important thing I have learned as a natural light photographer is to pay attention to lighting conditions. The other thing that was out of my control during the 2016 session was my dogs' willingness to cooperate. Willow and Cordelia acted in true stubborn dachshund fashion and would not do what I asked. Perhaps they knew the lighting wasn't right? The fact that they looked at the camera during the 2019 session was pure luck, but I am so grateful for that.
0 Comments