Scrolling my Instagram, continuously seeing a pink banner pop up that looks like spam, I ignore it. I go onto Facebook, here it is again. Must be some sort of scam. Someone tags me in the post, and I finally give it a bit of attention. This is what I read.
What's not to like?
A two-year internship, paid for taking photos, something I already love doing? Damn, I’m into that. I emailed. 5 minutes later, no response, I email again. Jacqui gets back to me, and within the space of a week, I’ve redesigned my CV, Written a cover letter, got some photos taken of me, done a shoot by myself as part of the application, and been for an interview.
17 March 2017, the day I turn 23, I’m standing in the Jacob Lund office in Loop street, ready to sign my contract.
But Mike, was it easy?
It was definitely no easy task getting this far into this internship, but it’s definitely been worth it. Long days, early mornings, and late nights. Always chasing those sunrises and sunsets. Proving that planning meets opportunity results in success.
Looking back at the last (nearly) two years, it is apparent that the internship Courtney and myself got ourselves into, has definitely come with many opportunities, experiences, and challenges.
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Tell me more?
2017, the year where I started my journey as a stock photographer after making it into the internship programme. Having about 3 years of experience in taking photos, I never thought that there was so much to learn in order to become a commercial stock photographer.
One month of orientation and training has come and gone, and here I am, ready to shoot my own stock images under Jacob’s name. No pressure, right? Wrong, Immense pressure. Little did I know that this was the beginning of real learning.
Starting off strong with two of my strongest shoots to date, a Father and Son road trip shoot, as well as a Corporate Business shoot, the importance of a strong concept within a shoot, as well as proper execution was made very clear. Considering the fact that both of these shoots have a very clear feeling and a story that can be shown allows for many commercial applications.
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It’s important to remember that once you start shooting on a regular basis, you need to keep your passion for the art intact, this is done by shooting stuff you are passionate about.
Repetition is the mother of learning. 2 Shoots a week for the better part of the year, it becomes like breathing. Up until the date of this post, I have shot roughly 130 photoshoots, and each one brings in new learning curves. Whether it be different energies on set, planning, communication, or simply my own headspace. Each time I pick up the camera, there is something to be learnt.
2018 has afforded me 82 opportunities to shoot something incredible. Obviously, some of them more successfully than others. There are so many elements to consider when doing this job, yet it’s important to keep the process and approach simple enough to ensure a usable image at the end of the day. Focusing on all the elements of basic photography, angles, settings, focal lengths, and modifiers, as well as the more technical elements with regards to what makes a good commercial image is something that has been drilled over time.
Reflecting on these 82 photoshoots, here is an overview of some of my favourites. In no particular order, these shoots, I feel, have taught me the most. Whether it’s just simply the shoots I feel I’ve come closer to the style I’ve strived for, lighting improvements, or memorable sets.
Enjoy.
Comments (2)
nice biography , it’s really inspiring to me.
Excellent work Michael. You have come a long way. Keep it up!!