How to get Started.

How to get started in Landscape Photography

Welcome everyone, happy that you are here. Happy Holidays first and foremost and just a small PSA, please check on your friends who are alone or away from their families during the holidays.

Now today, I am going to talk about getting started in Landscape Photography. Disclaimer, these are things I am talking about in retrospect versus how I ended up doing things.

Training:

Invest time in watching videos and online courses. Attend a workshop or two. Get yourself out there and start learning how different things work. Don’t be afraid of failure because in photography, failing is just a way we learn to overcome in the future. Training is widely available in a large range of ways. You find a few you can follow and get going.

Camera:

Yes, the new cameras are amazing, but they are EXPENSIVE. To save on them, go find a good used camera with a good lens. This way you don’t get hammered on a camera going into the start of something new. ALSO do your research on them please. Not all cameras are the same but most of the ones in the last five years are built with the same spec range and have a wide range of lenses.

Tripod:

You need a good tripod that will hold up to wind and the elements.  But is also light and able to be carried because you will be hiking to locations and having that with you 99% of the time. Research these too and find one that gives you everything you feel will help. Invest in the L bracket too as they will change your life.

Camera Bag:

Find one that you like. I prefer backpacks with hard shells and a lot of space. When I hike, I like to pack snacks and such for me, and have the ability to carry all my gear in one location and keep things comfortable too.

Filters:

Last but certainly not least, filters. These are personal choice and can be very expensive. You can have slide in filters or the ones you change on the filter that screws on to the front of the lens. I have shot with both and have both in my bag. Each one can help in a wide range of situations.

This is a starting point for anyone looking to get into Landscape Photography. Side note, I have no brand loyalty as I have shot with every type of camera in my career. If you are interested in certain brands that I use and love, I would be happy to reply to them in the comments below.

Thank you again for joining me,

 Jimmy

The Future & Moving Forward

The Future and Moving Forward:

Welcome everyone, happy to have you here! Today I am going to talk about the future and how things are moving forward with my Landscape Photography.

What changed:

Simply put, I changed. I changed how I was looking at things, how I was focusing on the negatives of the past and not on my happiness in the future.

Three months ago, I was having something call to me as I was working through some stuff and dealing with some personal issues. My DAY job is filled with me talking to a lot of the older population of the United States and during the end of August and start of September I kept having the same conversation happen and they would always tell me to chase my dream because when you get to their age, you living that dream is what helps you get through the times.

At the same time, I was very fortunate to come across a very powerful quote that I still read daily and believe is something that helped change my mindset. That quote is as follows:

“Believe that you are one new meeting, one new relationship, one new contact, one new action, one new decision, away from shifting your life to a totally different place.”- Ed Mylett

Honestly, I’ve never really listened to motivational speakers but something about that just hit home and, well, it changed how I started to see things. I wrote a five-year plan to shift from full time day work to full time Landscape Photographer.

I started planning things. I was invited to a couple art shows. Art galleries showing interest in 2023. Traveling to shoot photography again. Editing older images that I never touched due to me feeling something was lacking. Reigniting my artistic mind and it’s been an amazing three months. I would say I have accomplished more in the last three months than I have in 7 years and that says a lot. 2020 pandemic aside, I had a great year, but this feels different now. I mentioned in my Art Show and Goals blog that on November 18th, 2022 I closed the door on my past and only saw the future. That is where I feel things have changed completely.

I write all of this to tell you that if you are planning a YouTube channel, planning to teach or putting yourself out there more, know this, and believe, YOU CAN DO IT!! Go chase that dream and remember this, the people who want to help you and support you will do that without hesitation or question. They will push you and motivate you to be a better person and photographer. I know this because I found my people and I am blessed to have them.

Future Plans:

Starting next year, I am going to be focusing on my YouTube Channel and growing it. Also growing on social media more with videos, reels, etc. Finally, I am going to focus on article writing and trying to get into some national or international publications with my work and talking about locations. I also want to teach more photography to people. I would love to teach a workshop at the Lighthouse in Michigan City, Indiana. That is something that I have been planning in my head since I was there. I have a lot of work to do but will get it figured out and hopefully do that in the fall next year.

Lastly, I am going to be changing up the print portion of my online store. That includes pricing, types of paper, etc. Lots of new changes are coming soon and lots of exciting things for people to see and enjoy.

Thank you for reading and until next time,

Jimmy