Hey, how’s it going? I’m Andy Jones and this is episode 106 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.
Sometime last year I was asked what was the one thing that helped me the most when I was starting out. I don’t think I ever gave them an answer because I couldn’t think of just one.
There have been lots of things that have changed the way I work along the way. So I gave it some thought and I came up with …
My 10 Game Changers
My first DSLR was a Nikon D70s which I bought new in 2005 together with a Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3. I know 28-300mm, perfect for every type of photography, not.
It lasted about 2 months before I ordered a Nikkor 70-200 2.8. The Tamron wasn’t very sharp and was absolutely useless in poorly lit ice rinks.
When I tried the 70-200 for the first time it blew me away. The autofocus was fast and I could set the aperture without it changing when I zoomed in.
For portraits it was incredible, I think that lens paid for itself in a few months. I used it for everything, sports, portraits, and pets.
I remember being asked how I took such professional photos, and I said lots of practice. But, in the back of my mind, I knew it was the lens. My technique was to use the widest aperture I could get away with so the background would be soft and out of focus. Which you can’t do with a hobbyist lens.
The next game changer was the …
Shooting sports all day outside hand holding a 70-200 gave me back ache. So I bought a $20 monopod. A really lightweight thing that was a total waste of money. It couldn’t take the weight of the camera and lens, and would slowly slide down.
That was replaced with a Manfrotto monopod that I still have today. My sports photos suddenly became super sharp, and I had way more keepers.
Being able to keep still when shooting can change your photos from sharp-ish to tack-sharp.
I’ve even used it to shoot outdoor portraits. Give it a try.
Next is …
Now I started using Photoshop back in the 90s so I could make graphics for websites. By the time I got my first DSLR, I knew how to alter my photos.
The big game-changer was realizing that people at sporting events wanted their kids' names put on the photo. Next was realizing I could make my own sport-related magazine covers and posters. That turned a $150 afternoon into a $500+ afternoon.
I took some pics at my grand-daughters first birthday party and made a birthday magazine cover. After putting it on my website and showing it around I got lots of kid’s birthday bookings.
The same happened after I started making blended collages of figure skaters, pets, and portraits. It gives the customer more to buy, in fact, people would book me just so I could make them a collage.
Photoshop turned my photos into products, and I know that I was booked for events because of what I sold.
As I said, my first DSLR was a Nikon D70s, a 6-megapixel cropped sensor that could shoot a crazy 3 frames per second. The autofocus was at best hit and miss, in fact, it was more miss.
I bought a used Nikon D200 which was 10 megapixels and did 5 frames per second. My mistake was buying it privately. After a few weeks, the autofocus started to fail and the on-off switch didn’t always work.
I was getting very frustrated.
Anyway, I decided to switch to Canon after trying a 30D in a camera store. The autofocus was really good and it shot 5 frames per second. So I bought a new 30D and a few months later I also bought a used one.
That switchover gave me confidence when shooting sports. With the old setup, I would turn up hoping to get some good shots. With the 30D I knew I could get lots of great shots.
My next game changer is …
Back when I was starting out I had a mentor on a photography forum. His name was Mark Newcombe and he was a sports photographer in Australia. He used to turn up for kids' sports events with a van that had a computer, monitor, and printer. The printer was a Shinko S1245. He said they are expensive but it’s what you need if you want to sell at the event, and he wasn’t wrong.
I paid $2000 in 2006 and it paid for itself halfway through its second event. It prints an 8x10 every 30 seconds and has never let me down. An 8x10 print from that printer cost me $1.75 CDN and the cheapest print I sold was $25, so there was lots of profit.
Printing customized work at the event was huge for me, a massive game changer.
Next is …
This little lens is amazing. I bought it because I didn’t want to learn how to use a flash. Wedding receptions are mostly low-light situations, and the 50 1.4 could capture photos in really dark rooms.
If you are still using your kit lens and want to get a cheap lens that gives professional results you should think about getting the 50mm 1.8 version. You’ll be amazed at the results.
It’s another piece of equipment that gave me confidence.
Next is …
I got my first copy of Lightroom in 2007 and it revolutionized my editing. It made working on over a thousand images streamlined. Before it came along I used Photoshop and it was painful.
It was because of Lightroom I decided to give weddings a try. Back then it was a way simpler editor, but it made editing so much easier.
Game Changer #8 is …
These puppies are my studio lights and they are made by Paul C. Buff in Nashville. Just like the printer they paid for themselves really quickly. I’ve had them for 17 years and they still haven’t let me down.
I used to cover dog obedience events. I would turn up with my lights, backdrop, computer, and printer and shoot dog portraits. Again magazine covers and collages were big sellers.
I also used to go to people's homes and shoot family portraits with these lights. Like I said they have never let me down.
Buying this body was a big decision. I wasn’t going to pay for a new 1DX at $6,800 USD, instead, I got a good deal on a used 1D MKIV that was 3 years old.
The first time out with it I was like a kid on Christmas morning. 10 frames a second and super fast and accurate autofocus was amazing. The photos were sharp, very sharp.
I was confident with my 30Ds but now I was beyond confident. Knowing that you can produce quality photos gives you a warm-fuzzy feeling.
My last game changer is …
Learning how to stick a flash on top of my camera for portraits and weddings was a biggy. My style changed overnight, instead of grainy available light shots I was producing well-lit professional-looking photos.
All I kept thinking was why didn’t I learn how to use Flash when I started? It was so simple, and the hardest thing I had to do was change AA batteries every couple of hours.
I talk about using Flash a lot on this podcast because if you want to improve and produce professional work I think you need to use Flash.
Ok, so those are the things that were game-changers for me. I don’t expect you to copy me, but I want you to know that using tools that make your photography easier or make your work more professional is a good thing.
Photography is really expensive, but the best equipment will pay for itself time and time again.
Ok, that’s it for this episode. Like I always say, if you need help with anything you can contact me in the FacebookGroup or through Messenger.
Oh, and the Facebook Group has just passed 300 members. It’s come a long way from myself, Anna, Kenzie my daughter, and the first non-family member Paul Paldus.
Right then, I’ll be back next week, talk to you soon, bye.