First Product Photo Shoot and My Takeaways.
An overview of beginning a journey in the creative field.
The only online involvement my industrial photography trainer had was an Instagram account, and even that was simply for the sake of an easy to reach portfolio. Having said all this, she had more work than many creatives who base their focus on social media outlets more than they do on their work.
Creatives have a common goal: Expressing themselves in collaboration with the world (even when they go solo) while managing to keep their opportunities to make a happy life possible as high-standard as they can. Although compromising is sometimes integral, it is still very possible to keep the bars in the inspired zone.
Do the Same thing Different Every Time
Throughout a career of this kind, while the hope is finding highest levels of novelty and creativity there is still room for jobs that are slightly more mundane. Product Photography, Sales Page Copy writing, or simply creative processes that are meant for businesses to be running at their full artistic capacity can sometimes consist of doing a repetitive task. Search Engine Optimizing a bunch of titles, or photographing a hundred things from eight different angles can sometimes seem as if the creative component of the picture is being blurred out. The point is to find ways to add creativity to the superficially boring stuff by finding new and better ways to do them which will add the right spice to the whole system. Maybe try a different background or lighting for the next shoot, change the shutter speed or modify settings while having the same desired results.Stretch the horizons of a project!
Work is where you are.
From photography and design, to writing and concept development, there is work for you in the universe as soon as you put the call out and pull the courage together to really take steps. There is always a smaller business that needs a product photographer or sales page copywriter. Despite the importance of having a strong online presence, getting yourself out there is irremovable from the process.
Introducing yourself the right way in your day to day interactions, showing engagement in daily reality and keeping an open-mind next to a connected heart is much more efficient that approaching social media and online platforms out of desperation. My first project didn’t find me through Linkedin or Instagram, but in real life through human socialization and keeping the right attitude while taking it easy. There is no doubt that these platforms help me on my growth journey as a professional, taking them more seriously than we need to can sabotage the path nonetheless. Maybe going out with your colleagues for a coffee or attending events that set you in the right environment is far more efficient than the equal amount of time and energy spent hunting for projects online.
Communication and Partnership
When we work on projects with other creatives (which is the case for a lot of projects); progress is made so much faster and the variety of perspectives keep the inspiration levels high and the end product top notch. There is more to product photography than simply taking pictures. A lot of work goes into setting up the space and working with the equipment. That is the most tangible part of your experiential development. Only through hands-on, communicative effort you can see the importance of on the field work.
Setting up projectors, running around for an extension cord as you are talking about what Netflix show to watch next is the real deal. Besides the fun chitchats and interactive work flows, focusing on systems that will allow team mates to relay information about parts of the project so that everything can be worked on smoothly is another crucial skill of a functional team. It is the details of the way like how well you can manage to stay in the loop, your posture besides personal representation that makes a creative career path distinct from just sketching or casual photography!
Once the non photographic components of a visual content production path come up we see all these areas of development that go far beyond a camera. Studio management, teamwork and networking, in addition to remembering the most important part of every project: You!
We sometimes photograph products with labels and info plaques that will not be exhibited to the audience, they are specifically for the producer to be able to keep track of important information. It is easy to get a bit hasty and be OK with lower quality pictures when it comes to instances like that just because no one except for the artist will see them. Looking into it deeper enlightens the fact the the component that makes all these processes possible is actually the creator! If you feed yourself lower quality content, it is much easier to fall for lower quality end products as well, taking good care of yourself and treating yourself just as you would treat the viewer of the final results will not only give you a boost of self-worth and self-esteem but keeps your mind’s eye sharp for quality. This also includes making sure you eat well, rest and respect yourself in all the ways possible by embodying your truest potential.
In a nutshell being a more wholesome human being, with a clear value system and a friendly smile would probably take you way farther than putting all your eggs in the basket of social media. Focus on what matters!
