Finding the right photography genre for you

Albert Pedrosa
Photo Mania

WHEN I was still new in photography, I took a really good interest in photojournalism. I love the idea of freezing candid and real emotions taken from different scenes. I also tried landscape and I truly loved the experience, especially during sunset and sunrise. Three years ago, I tried studio lighting.

I’ve always assisted few photographers shooting strobes when I was still a neophyte in photography. I never had the urge to dwell into the complex metering and positioning of lights back then. I would normally just do what I was told. There were a few occasions, though, when we tried to troubleshoot the lighting problem, but it was all that.

I never knew that later, I’d end up spending my photography time shooting with strobes. I would spend countless hours in the studio, and yeah, emptied my pocket with the many modifiers and accessories needed to test my experiments. The worst part back then was finding models who’d be patient enough to work with me.

I later realized that I found the type of photographic genre that fits me well. It turned out that I love shooting beauty, fashion and commercial. The more I do it, the better I become. Like in any of life’s choices, it was full of sacrifices, failures and hard work. The key was in believing in what you can do, and persistence.

When looking for the right photography genre, you must try anything that interests you. Just like in the matters of heart, you’ll know when you get there, and thus the journey starts anew. In my search for the right genre for me, I learned that there are those who are good at creating moments, while there are those who are good at capturing them.

I learned that I belong to those creating them. Maybe I’m not part of the quick response team, but I like to plan and spend time figuring things up. I’m not very good in impromptu photography. I like to visualize a certain scene and try to reproduce it and capture it.

Some are good in action shots and events. They process all the things that are happening, position themselves and take the shot at the right moment. They wait and anticipate for that perfect chance when all the elements converge, then capture the image in a split second.

Learn more about yourself as you learn the different genres in photography. Find your niche and enjoy what you’re doing. The more you learn the more you understand that there is no end, hence new opportunities and new challenges open up for the new players. Keep on shooting, everyone!

(photomania.sunstar@gmail.com / www.grp.ph)