I’ve been looking forward to this course and I’m so excited, so I jumped right in! I already signed up for Getty/iStock in March and have been busy building my portfolio with photos, videos, and illustrations.

1. My Topics

Most of my joy in photography comes from observing the small details in nature: macro shots of plants, insects, butterflies, natural structures etc. I love how the world slows down when I look through the lens at something tiny and often overlooked. Recently, there was a client brief asking for forest macro, and I uploaded around 200 photos, and I could have kept going! Fingers crossed the client picks some of my shots, but I truly enjoyed working on that brief.

I’m quite introverted, so photographing people doesn’t come naturally to me. That’s why I’m especially proud of the image I took in the A. Vogel Gardens: the hands of a kind elderly man holding a geocaching device. I actually asked if I could take the photo, and that small moment felt like a personal victory. Every time I see it, I’m reminded of my moment of courage and the lovely conversation we had.

During that same visit, while I went there for flowers and insects, I also took some photos of people working in the gardens. I uploaded them as editorial and to my surprise, those are some of the first images that sold, even multiple times!

It made me realize that maybe photographing people is something I could explore a bit more, or perhaps it’s okay if it’s simply not my thing, and my focus stays on nature and quiet observation.

 

Seize the moment

One day, while having a coffee break in my garden, I noticed a frog in the pond. I went inside to grab my camera and took some photos, trying to get as close as possible. I uploaded one of them, and it sold! It reminded me that you never know when an opportunity will appear, sometimes the best, most sellable images happen when you least expect them.

My Style

I’m not sure if I have a distinct style yet; I think style is often easier for others to see. But I love shooting with my Sigma 105 mm macro lens, and I prefer images that are calm and not overly saturated.

I really enjoy shooting for the briefings on the Getty website, and what I’d like to learn is how to make my images and illustrations more conceptual, to add stronger ideas and stories behind them.

 2. Create Series, not Similars 

For the assignment, I tried to capture the process of making my breakfast smoothie and challenged myself to look at my subjects in a new way, like taking close-ups of the banana and the apple with the cute little leaf.

Photographing while preparing food or drinks is always a bit of a juggling act for me. I’m not great at multitasking and tend to get overwhelmed easily, so my breakfast smoothie turned into lunch yesterday :) But it was really fun to do!

Last year I tried to make a serie while baking Cannelés, but it felt too forced and I was never completely happy with the results. Not to mention that the pan (because of its brand) isn’t suitable for creative stock anyway. This time, though, it felt much more natural and enjoyable!