Why I Chose Photography as a Subject

Photography was never really an interest of mine until I took it as an A level at college. I chose photography because I didn't really want to do anything else, and I thought it would be a chance to slack off. However, I was completely wrong. I didn't realise how much time and hard work goes in to photography, even more so now. Despite this, I got really into it and put a lot of effort into my work. I found I could have a voice using photography, by showing opinions or producing imagery that was in my head. It also seemed to be the first thing I seemed to be quite good at.

Another one of my choices in A level was media studies. I created magazine articles for one of my projects, which consisted of editorial and fashion photography. For my photography projects however, I was more into Surrealism, so this difference was quite daunting to me. My media teacher showed my photography teacher the final photographs I had produced for the magazine articles, and I was told that my editorial and fashion photography was better than my surrealist approach. Since then, I haven't gone back to creating surreal photography, though it does still interest me. 

I'm not sure yet whether I want to take photography on as a career. I know that it is very hard to get into the fine art industry that I would choose to go in, and that I would probably have to have a second job to help myself financially. It's the post-production part of photography that I enjoy the most and get really stuck in, so maybe I will choose to be a retoucher in the near future. To really get what you want out of a career in photography, if you want to be truly successful, you have to be 100% committed. I love photography, but I know that I want to work to live and not live to work. Hopefully I will find some creative work to do down here in the south west and not have to travel all the way to London, where the majority of the work is.

Where I Might Be in 5 Years Time...

 

Make-up artist? Author? Singer? Photographer? In another country? All that matters is that I'm happy. 

Photos I edited for a Seth Lakeman Gig

My Photo Edited By Lee Hickman

Tip From Michael Leckie

• Be tidy
• Be polite
• Be prepared
• Backup
• Be approachable 
• Reply to emails asap
• Get your first shot sorted, everything else will flow after
• Be aware of whats around you
• Offer something the client hasn't thought of