Last Of A Dying Breed of Portrait Photographers
I have realized that my generation of portrait photographers, who’ve been in the industry for a while, are the last of a dying breed of portrait photographers. A lot has changed in the industry since I started my portrait photography career in 1993. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the digital camera aspect of these changes. However, there is more to it than that. Something that, in my opinion, will never come back. The honor to work under experienced photographers, to learn the craft, which can take years to master, if you ever do.
Studios Are Mostly Gone
There aren’t as many studios where young photographers can work for and learn as in the 90s. These jobs were hard to come by then; now, they are mostly non-existent. It might come as a surprise to many people, but it takes a while to photograph families with great composition and lighting. The best way to learn to do this is by working side by side with an experienced photographer. Like I did, I had the privilege of working under two master photographers in my early 20s while working for the Image Maker Studios in both Berkeley Heights and Mendham, NJ.
Starting a Photography Business is Easy
Another aspect to all of this is that it’s easy to start a photography business. You can easily open up an LLC or register your business with the
county you live in, and voilà, you have a business. From there, you can create a simple photography website, and before you know it, you look like an experienced professional. I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with that; it’s just how it is these days. For most, it’s the only way.
“Back in the day”, I would assist one of the owners with the portrait sessions. Meaning I would sit there, and load the film and observe. Yes, film! My job was to make sure all the film backs were loaded at all times. The better portrait cameras back then would only get ten exposures per roll of film. As time went on, about a year, during these sessions, I would be allowed to take over for one pose to show them what I have learned. Doing so was a big deal! The better you got at it, the faster you were able to do sessions on your own. Eventually, what would happen, the studio would overbook, or one of the owners couldn’t make it back to the studio for the portrait session, and you were thrown in with the wolves to see if you could handle a session on your own. Let’s not even get into lighting; most professionals are stumped by lighting their subjects. That’s why there are many natural light photographers.
My era was right before the digital age became rampant. I’m thankful for that. I had to learn the technical aspects of photography and not be dependent on digital cameras. All of this has helped me until this day. You have to know how to fix exposures instantly. However, I was also the last of the photographers where you had to work under experienced photographers to become true professionals. That’s why I am comfortable at saying that I am indeed the last of a dying breed.
Styles Have Changed Because They Had To – Last Of A Dying Breed of Portrait Photographers
A lot of photographers took on a photojournalistic approach. Which, to some degree, I also have. However, this is because most new photographers, at no fault to their own, can’t start their career in the way I had with becoming a professional. As a result, natural light, candid approach portrait photography became all the rave. That type of portrait photography took off for a while, but it didn’t last. People can do that type of photography themselves. Furthermore, for most people, it’s not the most flattering type of photography.
It Took Years
It took years to learn how to pose families of five, never mind groups of twenty-five. Working for Image Maker Studios streamlined this whole process, and I am thankful for the opportunity. If you are a portrait photographer that is reading this, feel free to reach out to me if you want to tag along from time to time. I’ll be happy to show you what I do and how I do it.