Wandering Lens: Around the Block

Hey everybody! I’m excited to announce that I will be starting a new vlog series that will be called “Around the Block with Derek“. In this series, I’m hoping to bring all kinds of different topics your way. Mostly photography related, but you never know, I may throw in other things that catch my interest. 

First “Around the Block” Vlog – All about me!

In this first vlog of the series I wanted to introduce myself. I will be talking about how I got into photography in the first place. I also dicuss how my love of art, music and theater brought me to photography. If you watch through the vlog, you may also see how the dentist’s chair had something to do with steering me in a photography direction!

Stumbling Blocks

The vlog also drills further into how I overcame the struggles I had when starting out with photography. There is definitely some useful information in the vlog that will help you on your photography journey.

1. Learning to use a DSLR or Mirrorless Camera: The best tip I can give here is – practice, practice, practice! Take pictures and look at your work. Make mistakes! And learn how to correct them. For me, this was by reading books by Scott Kelby and Bryan Peterson. I tried the techniques they suggested. I also learned a ton from online resources (blogs and YouTube videos).
2. Don’t be a “Jack of All Trades” photographer: Once you have some images under your belt, don’t try to be an expert at all things photography related. If you head this route, you’ll never be an ‘expert’ at anything. In my case, I decided portraits were my passion. I spent the last 10 years honing my portrait skills. I focused on lighting, composition, and ways to make my clients look their best in front of my lens.
3. Finding people to work with: My vlog talks about ways to help you try and find potential clients to work with. The thing I can most recommend is that you want to put your best work out there. If you’re shooting portraits, find friends and family members that are willing to take pictures with you. Post these images on your portfolio. And reach out to people on Instagram (or through email) and ask if they want to work with you. If they like your work, there is a good chance they will say “let’s shoot!”

Make sure to have fun!

Don’t forget to have fun learning to shoot images! And don’t worry about making mistakes! That is how you will learn. That is how you will gain confidence. And that is how you will get better over time.

If you are looking to come into the studio and learn from me, don’t hesitate to reach out! I’m always looking for amazing people to work with.