Will Parris is a professional photographer in Southern California (www.parris-studios.com) and a good friend of mine. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing him well enough to know what makes him tick – and those things are also what make him an amazing photographer. HIs playful spirit and creative mind come through in his photos, and he is one who knows how to perfectly capture the moment – just check out the awesome family photos he shot for us last year. He was kind enough to agree to be a part of this series and I love the encouraging and inspirational words he came up with when it comes to picking up your camera – whether you’re a beginner or a pro. So, take his advice, get up off your chair this month and shoot, shoot, shoot. The only way to learn is to practice!
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I’ve been working on my guest post for weeks now, ever since Amy was kind enough to ask me to do a guest post. I’ve been trying to write something that will wake the sleeping creative giant in all of us, trying to think it to perfection – and therein lies the problem. I need to just do it.
If you know me, you know my brain moves in about a hundred different directions at once, so here’s a quick look at where the ol’ mind’s been. Brain dump in 3, 2, 1… try different angles, how does the different angle change how you see the image and what role does lighting play in it, don’t be afraid to break your camera by playing with settings, shoot what you love, experiment in how you shoot, try to shoot new things, how does color affect your image, what about negative space, rule of thirds, breaking the rule of thirds…
But it all boils down to one thing. Do it. Stop planning it to death and just do it. Most people in the world (vast generalization) have a camera on their phone that has the megapixel equivalent of a good DSLR (8 megapixels). And many people have another camera of some sort that is probably a higher resolution. Take whatever you feel comfortable with and just go out and shoot.
Like Amy’s hashtag, #capturethelittlemoments, you can start small. Her prompts give great examples of things to shoot. If you’re behind (raises hand), don’t get discouraged! Things happen that derail us, but we can always get back in it and keep moving that creative muscle forward. We just need to take a moment, inhale and take a picture. There’s always something to shoot, just look around you.
Don’t get me wrong. Planning is great and necessary much of the time, but when you’re sitting there planning and planning and planning, that’s a whole lot of pictures you’re not taking, lessons you’re not learning, and fun you’re not having. And come on, who doesn’t want to have FUN!?
Now, as a summary to the brain dump:
- angle and lighting can absolutely change an image, look in a mirror and move a flashlight around your face, kind of fun to see what the shadows can do to you
- you can’t break your camera – you can always reset it, put it on the auto function if you’re afraid of the camera
- ask a photographer that you know or someone you follow or research it online if you have questions, there are no bad questions
- loving what you shoot comes through in your images
- break out of a rut and try shooting something in a different way (angle, f-stop, negative space, rule of thirds, etc)
- color can absolutely dictate the mood of the image, it depends on the look you’re going for
Aloha all, have a wonderful day and happy shooting!
Will Parris is a photographer based in Orange County, capturing weddings and families with his camera. He’s the proud dad of an amazing, creative, hilarious, handful of a daughter, a huge fan of anything Hawaiian, Star Wars, and most things geekery related. He loves to laugh with people, which helps to relax them in front of the camera. Plus, laughing, smiling and having a good time is scientifically awesome. See more of his work at Facebook.com/Parris.Studios
Photo credits: Will Parris, Parris Studios
