The top tips to outdoors and adventure photography. This is for everyone with an interest in photography. It is intended to help beginners get started in photography, and become so good at it that they turn into advanced amateurs. Accomplished photographers will also find useful photographytips and hints here.
Tips for Beginners, PhotographyTips, Photography. Alenka Mali is a sports and adventure photographer who has gained international recognition and awards for her photography. Based in Squamish BC.
The overwhelming support that black people have been receiving in this short period of time has been more than amazing, but our work does not end up here. I think BLM protests are good, but those won’t solve the problems of racism, and rooted mindsets, that started generations before us. I wanted to showcase these incredible black female photographers.
It starts with us, you and me — as individuals. We have to look inwards and really think about how we’ve been treating the people of color and maybe change a thing or two.
If you think you’re all good to go in that department, that’s cool too. I’m still going through pages of ideas, but thus far I’m hearing a resounding request to showcase more diverse creators.
This is something I will consistently do going forward as a promise to you, and our community.
Please keep tagging new creators on my Instagram and in the meantime, give these creators a follow. Because today, I would like to highlight these 6 amazing and inspiring black femalephotographers.
You don’t have to think twice, to realize this is a minority of the minorities. The photo and video industry is a very white saturated and male-based industry. But that’s totally fine. Just by reading this article, you are one step closer to changing those statistics.
Give these gals a follow on Instagram, they deserve it.
6 Black Female photographers that you need to follow on Instagram!
Jasmine Murrell
Year and City of Birth: 1977, Detroit, MI
Collaborative photographer, Jasmine is a super talented creative director and composer.
“Jasmine Murrell’s work is important because she incorporates other media (like sculpture, performance, and video) into the making of her photographic images. Her work is often the result of collaboration.” — Kalia Brooks, Adjunct Professor in the Photography and Imaging Department in the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University
Yagazie speaks of herself as simple yet complex at once. I feel you girl, nothing is simple, yet everything is at the same time. The photojournalist is bringing us home with her deeply grounded and candid photos, sprinkled with her own spice.
She’s from Texas, but call New York home; photographer, Adrienne Raquel’s Instagram feed is the stuff of all of your childhood dreams. Powder pink rotary phones, blissful sunsets and silhouettes so beautiful you wish you could hang them in your living room.
Her work is so stunning, her style brings out the shadows and colours in the perfect dance and she’s definitely a big inspiration for me.
Black lives matter. Black women matter. Black men matter. Black children matter. Black voices matter. Black experiences matter. Black narratives matter. Black past matters. Black present matters. Black future matters. Black LOVE matters. The resilience it takes for us to prevail, fight for injustices, to survive and evolve in this world is remarkable and completely unmatched. It always has been and always will be.❤️✊🏿
Documentary photographer, Malin Fezehai, bring photos to life through her use of contrasting lighting and stark imagery. With a strong focus on portraiture, she highlights displaced communities around the world.
When she’s not capturing photos, you can find Eunice watching Shia Lebouf movies, buying plants she doesn’t have room for, or drinking Margs at Chili’s. She’s aggressively obsessed with dogs and boyfriend (in that order) and really, really loves her job as a freelance photographer.
“My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love using my medium to capture sports, adventures, underwater shots, adventures in the mountains, and days on snow! Very simply put, I’m one stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for sunrise, go to the airport and take a random flight…you name it!
The question every single photographer has been asking themselves, now what? A world after COVID-19. I heard people use that phrase before, what does it mean? Here in Canada, things are getting eased out, quarantine is lifted, bars, parks, and shops are reopening, everyone is going back to work. But, I wonder.. what is different now, than it was before? Why are we now allowed to leave our houses and go play? Is there going to be another virus next year? Another house ban?
The most important thing is, how are SP freelancers and small local businesses supposed to recover from this? I heard that in Whistler, 40% of locally owned businesses are closing their doors, due to the financial tool they had to took during the last two months.
As a freelance photographer, I lost all my future bookings, after the country announced quarantine mode on March 15th. I wonder, how other photographers took it and as I was making a plan for the future months, which I realized it’s an impossible thing to do, but I am not going up anyways. We can still continue, our world has not come to an end, but indeed, it has been put on pause. Totally okay, because we needed it.
Like I mentioned in my previous blog posts in the last few months, there is a long list of things to do, during the pause time, while thinking about the future is not the worst one either! Nothing wrong with making plans, even though we don’t know what will happen…
If you are a freelancer in the fields of photography, videography, graphic design, or any other digital services, you are probably using the Adobe office. According to Adobe’s CEO, they are taking care of us! Read more HERE about how you can get a free month with the whole service. That is their help to us. From my side at least, I can confirm it works and I greatly appreciated it! I have to say, many big corps, as well as our Canadian government, are doing a lot, to help out small businesses. You just have to reach out, call your employers, landlords and if you are financially stable and good, use this time to perfect your craft. Simple.
“My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love using my medium to capture sports, adventures, underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! Very simply put, I’m one stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for sunrise, go to the airport and take a random flight…you name it!
A crazy week wraps up the first stop of the Crankworx 2020 tour. From a beautiful spot, Rotorua, surrounded by world-class biking trails, hot spring, and thermal waters and kind locals, on the North Island of New Zealand.
I took a direct flight on a late Saturday night from Vancouver and arrived to Rotorua in the afternoon of Monday, the 2nd. Passing Hobbiton movie sets, green hills, happy sheep and interesting rock formations on the way, I arrived in Rotorua.
I’m already familiar with a vibrance of Crankworx, from Whistler, being one of the biggest events of the year in our town. But with a kind kiwi hospitality, openness, and care for media and athletes, this was one of my favorite Crankworx weeks so far. Rotorua is very special and I’m nothing but a happy kid, thinking back to last week and everything that went down. I covered Adrien Loron’s journey to the top, as he competed in Speed and Style, AirDH, Dual Slalom, and Pumptrack! What a week.
I got to meet many inspiring athletes and photographers while pushing myself both physically and creatively and watching others push this crazy sport! I love this, could do it every week!
After a week like that, there was only one thing left to do. Go surf.
Two hours west of Rotorua, there’s a place that I definitely left behind to quickly. This whole trip went by way too fast, but our time in Raglan was short. We arrived in the afternoon, checked in to a jungle house and went for a sunset surf session.
The guys showed me the famous Raglan nightlife, and I fell in love instantly. What a spot, Woah! There’s something about these hippie towns that just gets me hooked right away.
One quick surf session for the sunrise and I was already late to the airport. Checked my bag in, without any shower and still a bunch of zinc on my face, but that’s okay. Life in the fast lane, like our friend, likes to say.
If you are taking a vacation soon, I’d like to invite you to take advantage of this – 65$ off Airbnb discount for your next trip! Enjoy it for me as well.
What do you think? Share your moments with me over Instagram! I would love to share them with my stories. And help me spread the word, by sharing this blog post on your Pinterest boards
“My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love using my medium to capture sports, adventures, underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! Very simply put, I’m one stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for sunrise, go to the airport and take a random flight…you name it!
The whip-offs championship in Rotorua, at the first stop of world Crankworx tour 2020. Hit the jump line, go big, and throw your bike as sideways as possible, then bring it back underneath for a smooth landing.
Winners:
1) Jackson Goldstone 2) Kaos Seagrave 3) Billy Meaclem
If you are taking a vacation soon, I’d like to invite you to take advantage of this -65$ off Airbnb discount for your next trip! Enjoy it for me as well.
What do you think? Share your moments with me over Instagram! I would love to share them with my stories. And help me spread the word, by sharing this blog post on your Pinterest boards
“My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love using my medium to capture sports, adventures, underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! Very simply put, I’m one stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for sunrise, go to the airport and take a random flight…you name it!
I recently hosted a photoshoot in Squamish. On the day of the shoot, I wasn’t feeling the most creative self, I’ve had some weird days in terms of where my headspace was at. Before the photoshoot, I did a mini ritual that helped me calm myself down and find that creative space I want to be in, before a shoot.
Like with most challenges in life, the better prepared you are, the more success will follow. Photography can be stressful for any photographer, no matter how long they have been plugging away at this profession. There are just so many variables that sit outside of your control. Once you are hired to expertly perform on a job, you have no choice but to at the very least, meet and hopefully exceed on the expectations that the best of your brand has established. No matter the unfair circumstances that will come your way. For me photography can be funny like that, some of my most relaxed, and therapeutic memories to date early on were spent with a camera nearby. But also when I let poor work habits creep back in, photography can then be at the heart of some of my most stressful days.
I’ll share a few tips with you, where you can do the same.
Meditate
Meditation can help many people clear their minds and focus more on the task at hand. Whether you’re trying to improve yourself or you’ve got a big game to shoot, it is important to concentrate on what you’re doing.
Meditation, clearing your head, and focusing on accomplishment is what will help every photographer out there.
Go Over the Intended Goals
There is nothing wrong with shooting just for fun—but in order to improve, you should have something that you’re trying to accomplish. It can be something as small as trying to ensure that there is no camera shake in your images. Or, it could be something as big as trying to figure out how best to light subjects for a graduation portrait. Accomplishing these goals, once again, depends on your maintaining a clear head.
One of the keys to creating better photos is self-motivation, combined with trying to work on self-improvement.
I knew a photography student that was praised for his composition skills by his teachers. Then, one day he bought a new lens and focused, instead, on creating photos with gorgeous bokeh, by shooting only wide open. Because of his newfound fascination, he lost his composition skills, until one day someone told him to stop the lens down a bit and work on his composition skills again. This way, he was able to maintain the balance between that creamy bokeh goodness—getting his subject sharply in focus—and regaining his composition skills.
If he didn’t set the goal of regaining his skill to compose and to push himself away from the ‘bokeh effect,’ his previously-gained skills would have been lost.
Check Your Gear
One of the worst things that can happen before shooting is discovering that you’ve got a very dirty sensor. What this means is that you’ll have to spend a lot more time in the post-process stage to edit out those pesky problems. Alternatively, you could clean your sensor—if you’re brave enough—or can pay someone to do it. Many people choose not to do it themselves, out of the very real fear of damaging it.
Besides the heart of your camera, there could be loads of other problems that could arise: your pop-up flash may not work, your memory card could be experiencing errors, your lens may not zoom in and out anymore, or it may not be as sharp as it used to be. More obviously, your batteries may almost be dead. Make sure your batteries are fully charged because the last thing you want is for your battery to die when you’ve got plans on shooting some important moments.
Search For Extra Inspiration and New Ideas
A fresh idea is usually appreciated in one way or another. It can be as simple as a new angle of view, different shooting perspective, an extra light, etc. Keeping your ideas fresh can usually help to ensure that your portfolio won’t seem like you’re reading War and Peace. Sometimes a client will want a specific look, in which case this should be discussed beforehand. However, if you’re shooting for yourself, your only limitation is yourself. Why not shoot street photography without looking through the viewfinder and seeing what you get?
Art students will probably make the most use of this in their photographic journey, but that’s not to say that anyone can’t benefit from it.
A great way to search for new ideas is by browsing Flickr and looking at the work of the great photographers. For my work, I tend to look at the work of local Whistler photographers who have been just crushing the scene lately (like Mason Mashon)
Prep for The Unexpected
Some may call it paranoia, but it is always a good idea to be ready for a problem, just in case matters get out of hand. When I first started out in photography, I used to be butterfingers and dropped lenses every now and again. To compensate, I always had another lens with me (though of a different focal length) ready to use.
Now, I’m not going to sit here and preach to you all the marketing pitches that ADT and other alarm companies will tell you in order to buy their product. I will tell you to be cautious, and it doesn’t hurt to have a bit of a backup plan.
What rituals do you do to prepare for shooting? Do you do any of these? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments.
If you are taking a vacation soon, I’d like to invite you to take advantage of this -65$ off Airbnb discount for your next trip! Enjoy it for me as well.
What do you think? Share your plastic-free moments with me over Instagram! I would love to share them with my stories. And help me spread the word, by sharing this blog post on your plastic-free Pinterest boards:
“My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love using my medium to capture sports, adventures, underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! Very simply put, I’m one stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for sunrise, go to the airport and take a random flight…you name it!
Photography, web design and digital marketing have been things I’m proud to call my job lately! Very flexible, lots of traveling and even more adventures than when I was a kid. Here, on my website I share tips on photography, spreading awareness about the zero-waste lifestyle and sustainability and crazy stories from my travels. Welcome.”
Happy New Year’s! Firstly, before sharing my tips about how to make money as a photographer, I would like to share a quote from Jimmy Valvano.
“To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.” Jimmy Valvano
Wouldn’t it be nice to make money doing something you love – even if it were just enough to cover the costs of that hobby? It is an absolute dream to support yourself doing something you are passionate about. If you are looking to get started as a photographer full time, or to make some extra cash, this is for you.
I have been getting many questions:
How do you make money as a photographer in the beginning?
Where do you start advertising as a photographer?
What is the easiest way to make money as a photographer?
Where can get freelance photography work?
How can I get started as a freelancer?
Why am I sharing these tips?
I would like to address the reason behind this post. Spreading and sharing my tips and what worked for me, as a photographer can hopefully help a young entrepreneur to launch their own business and take it to another level. Hopefully, turning passion into their career.
Why do I think that is so important?
Because by doing something we absolutely love, helps us staying motivated to keep growing what we have, and potentially help others while we’re at it!
Imagine what the world would look like if instead of a handful of beneficial organizations helping the world, there were tens of thousands. How much could we achieve, and what problems could we overcome, if there were tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs actively contributing to a better world?
I believe, is that we could create a world that is safe and healthy and beautiful for all of us to coexist in.
I think we would see entrepreneurs who are proud of their organizations and personally fulfilled in their lives knowing that they are contributing and that they matter. Happiness stems from giving and from progress.
I’m going to share with you the top ways that I have personally used to try and succeeded in making money as a photographer, besides the classic ones. There are many ways out there, as long as you are willing to spend hours on research, getting yourself noticed and most importantly – keep on working on improving your photography skills every single day.
These top – ways of making money as a photographer are more online-based and less location-based. Of course, there are many classic ways of making money as a photographer in 2020, like doing photo shoots for clients, hosting workshops in your town, getting paid for branding photography and selling your photos on locals markets…
But the ways I will share, are a bit different and less location-based as I said.
I’ll share with you my experience with each, advice on getting started, and whether or not I was successful in my attempts.
Airbnb created a new feature last year – Airbnb experiences. All you have to do is sign up and start your experience. It could be something like Family Photoshoot or Instagram photo experience.
Skillshare is a simple class sharing platform where you can create your own class in the area of your expertise. Photography is a popular topic, which is why is easy to make money on Skillshare as a photographer.
I had so far created 2 courses on Skillshare, one on photography and one on zero waste basics. I am planning on publishing more in the upcoming year! Since the platform makes it so easy to share your skills.
There are two direct ways to receive payments from Skillshare:
Receive a $10 commission for each premium subscription referral you send to the platform via personal referral links.
Receive a portion of Skillshare’s monthly profits based on how many premium minutes people watched with regards to your Skillshare classes.
Essentially, you want to be promoting the platform as much as you’re promoting your classes, in order to diversify the revenue you make on related efforts.
I also think there’s also a third way to make money as a photographer off Skillshare.
With the right strategy, building a following on Skillshare can transcend the platform. Proactively design your class and related materials to funnel traffic to your website and email list. This way, even if you don’t make more than a modest sum from Skillshare each month, you’re still growing your following for future classes. And offerings that don’t necessarily have to coincide with your Skillshare efforts.
On that note, creating a Skillshare following for your classes can also support business goals that include creating robust online courses and becoming a paid speaker. If you’re just getting started, Skillshare has a low barrier to entry. The best classes are capped off at an hour runtime and Skillshare provides teachers with a built-in marketplace of members who are hungry to learn new skills!
With regards to filming, there are two essential tools I’d recommend:
Blue Yeti USB Microphone: Sure, your Apple headphones with their built-in mic will technically work. But if you’re serious about online course creation, it makes more sense to use professional-grade recording equipment.
As far as investments you’ll want to consider to be successful, that’s really it. And keep in mind that once you have these tools, you can keep using them to create additional Skillshare classes. — and other online courses!
Bloggers make money through ads and sponsored content. If you’re an adept writer, another way to make money is to start your own photography blog. You can make tutorials, share tips and tricks, or write reviews on all kinds of photography gear and software.
Similarly, you can also make money by starting a photography channel on YouTube. It’s essentially the same content (tutorials, reviews, etc.) but in video form. However, your blog or YouTube channel needs to gain a good following before you can actually start making money from it.
There are people out there who make good money with stock photography. That’s the main reason I chose to include it in this post.
Do you have a sizeable collection of high-quality photos? Why not submit them to stock photography sites? It’s a good way to earn a stream of a passive income!
It’s a very hard industry to break into if you’re just starting out because the agencies typically will feature popular photographer’s work first. One point I’d like to make is that you have to keep in mind that the photographs people are looking for are ones that will help them sell a product or service to their clients. Therefore you have to think about that when you take your photos.
Sign up as a contributor. You’ll be required to provide some basic information about yourself, as well as identification documents to prove your identity.
Read and familiarize yourself with the submission guidelines.
Upload your photos and add metadata, photo descriptions, and relevant keywords. Keywords are important!
Don’t believe that your skills are good enough to win a photography contest? Think again! It’s not just the experts who join these contests, after all. The contestants you’ll be competing with will usually be an eclectic mix of photographers with different levels of experience and expertise. Don’t be afraid to venture out and try your luck.
What do you have to lose? Even if you don’t win any of the cash prizes, photo contests can help boost your confidence and gain you some exposure.
There are plenty of photo contests out there. And the grand prizes can go as high as a few thousand dollars! Not bad, right?
Sell prints ~ making money as a photographer
A beautiful photo is a work of art—and people will pay for art. If you want to earn some extra cash by selling prints of your work, here are a few ways to do that:
Sell your photos on your own website or upload them to sites like ImageKind.
Bring framed copies of your photos to sell at art and craft fairs.
Get your photos displayed at coffee shops, restaurants, and other outlets.
Offer printed copies to your clients.
Sell your photos at local art or photography galleries.
Before you start selling prints, find a good printing service first to ensure the quality of the end product. Also, as a general rule, people don’t normally buy photos with people in them, so try to avoid selling these kinds of photos. After all, the prints they buy will likely be displayed in their homes or offices.
Ways To Sell Your Photography
Okay so now that we’ve gone over some of the basics of what you’ll need to do before you even begin to sell your photography how do you actually go about selling it?
Direct Sales – If you can build a very loyal and close-nit community of people in your town, college, or place of work you might be able to generate sales in this manner. Also, many local coffee shops will allow you to hang your work on their walls for a commission on sales (this is how I got my first print sale). It benefits them in that they get free art to hang on their walls and you get to have a lot of eyes on your photographs.
Online Sales – Smugmug and Zenfolio are the two names that come to mind when I think about online sales. There are some other places as well like Etsy, Fine Art America and Redbubble which don’t offer as many features and typically will take a larger percentage of your sale. Again while all of these places will allow you to host your photographs, offer shopping cart options, and even print and ship the photo to your client they won’t promote it for you so we’re back to the first point above about needing a fan base to sell to.
Do freelance photography work for magazines or newspapers.
Contact your local magazines and newspapers and inquire about possible freelance work. It definitely won’t be a stable job, but it’s a great way to earn some money on the side. Eventually, when you’ve established a relationship with a local publication, you can expect a steadier stream of work covering local events and snapping photos for features and news stories.
Make sure to build a strong portfolio to increase your chances of getting work!
Are you making money with your photography? If so are you using one of the options listed above or do you do something else? Share below!
If you are taking a vacation soon, I’d like to invite you to take advantage of this -65$ off Airbnb discount for your next trip! Enjoy it for me as well.
What do you think? Share your photography moments with me over Instagram! I would love to share them with my stories. And help me spread the word, by sharing this blog post on your photography Pinterest boards:
“My name is Alenka and I’m a freeride snowboarder and Squamish based photographer. I love using my medium to capture sports, adventures, underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! Very simply put, I’m one stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for sunrise, go to the airport and take a random flight…you name it!
Snowboarding, photography, web design and digital marketing have been things I’m proud to call my job lately! Very flexible, lots of traveling and even more adventures than when I was a kid. Here, on my website I share tips on photography, spreading awareness about the zero-waste lifestyle and sustainability and crazy stories from my travels. Welcome.”
Taking photos has become one of the instant moment-describing mediums we have been using the last couple of years. Where is to post it on Instagram later, sending it to our friends or simply guarding a second of a cherished moment, photography is a part of everyone’s life.
When I first fell in love with photography I did not realize it would have such meaning in my life. I remember taking my mom’s camera on one of our climbing trips and making a connection between a moment and a shutter release. It was like magic to me. I figured if I could stand somewhere, at the right time in the right moment, using the proper settings, that is what I would create. Magic.
Fast forward to 7 or 8 years later, photography is my full-time job. Amongst the other things in my life like snowboarding, digital marketing, and web design. I’ve always had many interests and staying flexible in my work life is giving me the freedom to do many different little jobs.
One of the things that make me happy is passing what I know to others. I still get confused sometimes when people come to me, asking for advice on gear, photography tips or prices… In my mind I’m still just a girl who loves taking photos, that’s all.
Two years ago (in 2017) I created a preset pack. I remember many people telling me they love my editing, so I figured that could be one of the ways to give back to the community. Lightroom presets are a great way of getting started with editing photos and developing your own style. As well as very helpful in helping you create a theme on Instagram and so on. I remember making over 3000$ in sales in the first year and almost double the year after. (keep in mind it was a very popular time for Instagram influencer growth).
2017 Travel Preset Pack helped many starting photographers and it is actually still on sale to this day. The most popular pack was also the first digital product I have ever created, so I was pretty proud of myself.
To honor my home ~ the beautiful Pacific North West ~ I created another preset pack, related to the colder, moist and lush rain forests, snowy peaks and cold water surfing.
And a year ago, I created a course on tropical photography. I figured it was a type of photography I am the most familiar with, having traveled to Bali, Thailand, and other tropics to shoot with surfers and bikini brands… For the course, I partnered up with Skillshare and published my first tutorial.
For everyone that is interested in the basics, check out the course, and take advantage of the 2 free months of Skillshare premium on me 😉
What do you think? Share your photos with me over Instagram! I would love to share them with my stories. And help me spread the word, by sharing this blog post on your photography Pinterest boards:
More about Alenka
“My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love using my medium to capture sports, adventures, underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! Very simply put, I’m one stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for sunrise, go to the airport and take a random flight…you name it!
Photography, web design and digital marketing have been things I’m proud to call my job lately! Very flexible, lots of traveling and even more adventures than when I was a kid. Here, on my website I share tips on photography, spreading awareness about the zero-waste lifestyle and sustainability and crazy stories from my travels. Welcome.”
Goals! They are so exciting to think about, very easy to write down and get excited about completing them! Even easier, it is to forget about them, unfortunately. So I sat down and asked myself. How do I set goals that I am going to achieve and complete?
A great formula to use for that is a SMART formula. SMART goals are an awesome tool for setting and attaining any goal, and they apply to more than just health and lifestyle changes. I first learned about SMART goals while learning study habits in high school!
S.M.A.R.T. GOAL SETTING FORMULA
S – Specific. It’s narrowed down into a small enough goal that you can actually achieve it.
For example: I would like to sell 6 prints every month.
M- Measurable. You need to be able to measure your goal so that you know when you’ve met it and when you’re not quite there yet!
For example: “Do all of my workouts,” isn’t really a measurable goal. Do 2 workouts every day is a measurable goal.
A- Attainable. Now, I’m a huge fan of dreaming big and not limiting yourself when it comes to plans for the future and dreams in life… but I also think it’s really important to make sure you don’t set yourself up for failure.
For me, this means not setting lifestyle-change goals and expecting to quit something I love cold turkey and take on a challenging new habit 100% from day 1. The way I balance challenging myself and staying inspired, while also not setting myself up for failure is by having TWO goals. I have my main goal, and then I set a stretch goal.
For example, if I have $800 extra in my budget each month when I don’t overspend, eat out, buy birthday gifts for someone, etc… then my main goal could be to save $600 per month. That’s an attainable goal. Then, if I want to really push myself because I’m saving for something special, I can set a stretch goal to save the full $800 extra (or even to find a way to earn an extra $100 so that I could save $900 that month)! That way, I’m not set up for failure, I’m not crushing my ambitions, and I have a solid way to hold myself accountable for the main goal I want to accomplish.
R- Relevant. You want your goal to be relevant to your priorities and values, otherwise… it’ll be tough to stick to it! The first time you have an excuse to jump off the train, you want to make sure you know WHY you’re doing what you’re doing so you can stick with it!
For example, if you love reading, you are a student and work in an office, and you think you’d like to learn to write… but you’ve never really had a passion for writing and there’s nothing, in particular, you want to write about… setting a goal to write a book in 60 days wouldn’t exactly make sense, and you probably wouldn’t finish! But if you set a goal to read two books in the next 60 days, as someone who loves reading, that makes a lot of sense! Or to earn a certain number of credits within the next semester- that would make sense because you are a student and obviously working toward your graduation. A relevant goal is much easier to stick to.
T- Time-bound. This is a HUGE one for accountability! You want to make your goals time-bound. (Keep in mind you want them to be Attainable and don’t put yourself in too much of a bind, but remember that it’s okay to push yourself a little bit, you know? Find your balance, it’s okay if it takes some trial and error.)
Another way to use the time for your goals is to set the amount of time you want to do the thing for. When you’re building a habit, 21-90 days is a good range to start out with.
So, now you know what SMART goals are!
As for me, I love journaling. Every day, twice a day. I will journal, reflect, comment and talk about my day. Go through to-do lists and make sure I am keeping up with my goals, time-wise.
I did put down my 10 photography goals for 2020 and I thought it might be fun to share them with the world. I think that way they’re more likely to happen (since other people know about it, they can hold you accountable for your decisions.)
gear up to shoot in the water. capture beautiful surfing photos at the sunset.
do a 30-day photographing challenge with a specific object for every day.
get published in another magazine.
develope one film roll per month.
edit every. single. day. practise makes perfect.
produce a documentary on plastic pollution.
create another photography course and host 3 photography workshops.
write down what inspires me. make a mini video of it all.
take incredible ski photos. learn how to shoot good in snow. capture the mountains.
FOCUS. Focus is something I will “focus on” this year! I sometimes have a hard time focusing, sitting down, and doing the work. Ya feel me? Something that has been helping me a lot is CBD oil. I found out that only 10 drops in my tea or under my tongue make a huge difference already. Want to give it a try? The code RSLV-ALENKIS will give you a discount on any of your orders!
also // create weekly videos. film more and get good at editing.
“My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love using my medium to capture sports, adventures, underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! Very simply put, I’m one stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for sunrise, go to the airport and take a random flight…you name it!
Photography, web design and digital marketing have been things I’m proud to call my job lately! Very flexible, lots of traveling and even more adventures than when I was a kid. Here, on my website I share tips on photography, spreading awareness about the zero-waste lifestyle and sustainability and crazy stories from my travels. Welcome.”
Photography is a broad field and apart from a different style of photography, like analog, digital, b&w to diverse categories like wedding, bird photography, sports photography, nude, fashion, etc… there is one thing that makes the most difference in being recognized. That is your personal style.
Who are you, as a photographer and what story do you want to tell? How are you telling the story?
It sure doesn’t happen overnight, for some, it might take years of training and experience to finally shape their own style, and for some, it might never be fully defined. Photography is art and just like other artists, photographers go through eras of different styles, influenced by our mentors, the environment, work opportunities and sometimes even muses.
Style can be defined by numerous different aspects. It might be how someone’s cropping their photos, to the way they’re editing them, a certain angle they might be shooting from or a particular color that always seems to be a part of their photo.
We all have stumbled across a recognizable photo before, where you look at the single shot and knew in an instant, who took it. And there it is, that photographer’s personal style has been successfully developed. That is a point, where you’d want to be!
A couple of months back, I decided to feature artists that I love every once in a while, and I thought this would be a great time to do so. I’m so excited because there are so many creative and unique people around BC that there’s never enough exploring and connecting with like-minded people. Squamish alone is full of woodworkers, photographers, painters, from professionals to weekend hobbies, easily being a place full of creative artists.
There are many photographers with unique styles, who are instantly recognizable. I do have personal favorites to whom I look up to with my work. You might even know some, local and international:
Over the last few years of practicing photography and finally enjoying it professionally as a career, I have learned a couple of tips that I’m excited to share with you today, in terms of shaping your own style! I do believe everyone is different, I mean talk about style… so these tips might work for some, while not for others.
Don’t copy others.
I understand how tempting it is, to take someone’s work and copy-paste it onto yours. Why work on developing something unique of someone else’s work is already beautiful and inspiring and it totally fits your jam. Well, it doesn’t quite work like that. I do love to look up to others for inspiration and seeing a different angle of how someone’s viewing a scene, but there is no point of duplicating something that has already been done. Trust me, people and your potential clients will see through that in a second! Rather than copying someone else, try to see it from another point of view and see how that reflects on your photos.
See what inspires you!
What do you always watch out for, when shooting? Do you have a particular way of capturing the moment and when do you enjoy yourself the most? I love shooting sports for example. Being an athlete myself, I personally appreciate and admire what some pro athletes do in extreme sports. I find it inspiring to see how much work and dedication goes to flipping a trick or sending it down a steep slope. I love photographing sports because I get to enjoy a part of their stoke in the moments of happing. It feels very rewarding, which also reflects on my work!
Your style is what sets you apart. How do you do that? By doing the opposite what everyone else is doing. By doing what nobody is ever done before.
Spend a few days going through your hard drive and scrolling through your photos! What do you notice? Take some notes and compare the common factors in the photos. When I’m shooting surfing or working with brands of the surf industry I always love to use my classic clean, bright and open look. A style that is open to interpretation and very modern at the same time, maybe even timeless. Looking back at your photos is a good way of self-reflection, even in photography!
I hope you have a better idea now, on how to work on your style as an artist, let me know which things worked for you ~ and share your Instagram so I can check out your content!
More about Alenka
“My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love using my medium to capture sports, adventures, underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! Very simply put, I’m one stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for sunrise, go to the airport and take a random flight…you name it!
Photography, web design and digital marketing have been things I’m proud to call my job lately! Very flexible, lots of traveling and even more adventures than when I was a kid. Here, on my website I share tips on photography, spreading awareness about the zero-waste lifestyle and sustainability and crazy stories from my travels. Welcome.”
Crafting a minimalistic photography gear kit hasn’t been easy, but eventually, I gave in and told myself I simply have to do it. Because there is something about traveling with almost 10 kilos of photo equipment that just doesn’t do it.
Every piece of my kit is carefully selected and hand-picked by the owner, me. And I would never carry around the world something that I don’t use, as well as some valuable lenses or pieces like my analog camera, just stay at home.
In this article/blog post, I will go through my photography gear checklist or I guess just gear list since it’s not that long and I always bring most of it with me.
I can be pretty sentimental sometimes, all though when it comes to my belongings, I love being minimalistic. Sometimes I would live out a suitcase for over half a year and I don’t mind.
Photography for me, went from a curious-minded activity to a hobby, to my personal craft, to my job. I don’t remember when it was the first time I picked up a camera, but it had to be pretty early. It was mostly for capturing moments of our little family expeditions around the world, climbing culture and mountain life. We grew up in nature, so naturally, there were always plenty of opportunities for me to shoot something or someone.
I want to do a separate post on that, but here are my main ways I make money as a traveling sports photographer:
I sell my photos on Shutterstock ~ it is easy to upload, generate keywords and let the passive income flow! The best part is, that it is completely free.
I create online courses and teach students across the globe! ~ the best part about this again is the idea of passive income. Once my course is done and published, I simply sit back and relax. Let the passive income roll in. I use two platforms to sell my courses, and I work with both platforms as an ambassador. These are both trustworthy places to learn and teach. With Udemy, you get paid by selling each course individually and with Skillshare, you get a portion of monthly royalties, depending on how many students have attended your classes.
I sell prints and presets! I have been lucky enough to pick on many ways to share my art and two of them are printing my photos and sharing my lightroom presets. The thing about presets is, that I am sharing knowledge amongst other beginner photographers. When I started editing for real, other people’s presets really helped me. Which is why I created a preset pack myself, to help others start somewhere!
There hasn’t been a day for me, when I wasn’t thinking of something creative, planning a new project or playing with colors and styles on Photoshop. I can be lucky to call myself one of those young business gals where I can make a good income, doing what I love.
I get asked quite often about how and when I learned how to use my camera, the Adobe office, managing and running my own business and finances and many more. Well, luckily there is a great place to learn new skills like these. It is Skillshare!
My main 5 pieces of equipment are the items that run my biz, my passion and I basically treat as my puppies. My kids, whatever you want to call ’em, they’re my babies. I take them everywhere I go, every shoot, travel, business or personal trip!
My baby, my trusty camera is the number one thing that I use. It is a great full-frame Canon product camera. I use my analog camera often too, not as often as this MK iii, but I like the style of film photography.
Love my MacBook pro! I could not do my work on any other computer. Of course, everyone likes to use different tools for their craft. I like Apple products, since editing big files of photos and film photos requires lots of space and a good processor!
Of course, I always bring 2 other external drives with me, one for the footage and documents and the other one for backup. It happened lots of times that my footage got lost or deleted because of a mistake. That is why I made a point of always doing a backup, first thing when I get home/to the hotel.
I take my drone everywhere! Mostly because is super small and easily foldable, that just basically fits in every suitcase or a bag that I bring with. Check out this videos I’ve shot with my drone:
Well, this one is very simple. I use my Burton backpack for everything, everywhere I go. I always make sure my camera gear stays protected from humidity, rain, and cold!
With a minimal bag, one has to be critical of every piece that weasels its way in! Chances are, you’re going to be carrying that around all day, and like an ultra-lightweight hiker who buys carbon-fiber nail clippers, we have to think about every place we can trim the extra weight.
These are the accessories I think are absolutely necessary, which also won’t weigh you down!
No matter what, I always bring lots of extra batteries and SD cards with me. If I don’t need them for my camera, my GoPro or my drone, somebody else surely will! That is simply one of the photographer’s issues.
Even though my kit is constantly accepting new members and saying goodbye to the old ones, these are the items that I use and bring everywhere. What do you use? Let me know in the comments bellow!
Follow me on Instagram @alenkaamali for daily adventures around the world.
Speaking about traveling the world, have you heard of Airbnb yet? Probably. But have you taken advantage of my 62$$ OFF discount for all the new travelers?
My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love shooting nature, sports, sports in nature… underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! I’m stoked. Very simply put, I am a stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for sunrise, ready to go to the airport and take a random flight… I’m stoked on living and I love what I do for work.
Photography, web design and digital marketing have been things I’m proud to call my job! Very flexible, lots of traveling and even more adventures than when I was a kid. Here, on my website I share tips on photography, spreading awareness about the zero-waste lifestyle and sustainability and crazy stories from my travels. Welcome.
Just like I love playing favorites with places that I visit, I also love to keep scores for the best and most interesting shooting locations. I recommend you to look through these if you are a photographer in search of a new place to visit and shoot the scenery! And by the scenery, I mean beaches, mountains, the locals, cute cafes, epic events and such!
Whenever we traveled somewhere with my mom, we would always stay in a tent, or just our van (yes, a whole transformed van thing with 3 kids and a dog). As we visited these places, we would grade each one of them. Based on the location, how close to the beach we are, how clean/quiet it is, etc…
So here we have, in my opinion 5 most interesting and vibrant places to photograph (and have fun)!
BALI, INDONESIA
Haha, yes, I might be sounding like a broken record right now. I know that I’ve talked about Bali on and on throughout the last few years, but for a good reason!
The energy of this island is incredible. Very powerful, which is why the waves there are incredible as well. As for shooting, you can find yourself in many interesting scenarios, while exploring the island of Bali.
This one time my friends and I made a mission of trying to find out an abandoned hotel at the northern tip of the island. Nobody talked about the location, and only a few travel bloggers have written about it! We thought it was perfect! But unfortunately, the locals can be very protective with over Instagrammed locations, which is why all I am going to say is: I am very grateful we made it out alive!
About five minutes after seeing that incredible place, we heard voices and screams, the running footsteps. Someone was after us. We quickly panicked and hoped over the fence, put our helmets on and jumped on scooters. We tried to cover our faces and put sweaters on, so nobody would recognize us, later while exploring that village. It was freaky. You don’t want to get into any legal issues with the Indonesian government, that’s for sure. So be careful, and respectful!
Other than that day, I never had any problems with taking my photos. You’d want to be respectful at temples and wear a sarong over your pants. Pay attention to where you are allowed to take photos and where you aren’t!
Waterfalls, beaches, secret caves in Uluwatu… you name it!
Bali is full of surprises. My advice? Do not visit popular places that every single Bali Travel Instagram account posts about! Those places get thousands of visitors per day, and you won’t be enjoying taking that photo, trust me. Talk to the locals. Or rent a scooter and just drive around. Stop at the coconut stand or a bracelet lady on the beach.
Make it a mission of documenting the plastic filled beaches, share it over your social media and spread the word! Bali has been fighting the over-polluted ocean that is surrounding it for way too long. If you do visit this beautiful island, please be mindful about your use of plastics. Bring a bottle, say no to the straws and bags! Thank you.
Ah, the visuals of Portugal are absolutely incredible! I love the moody afternoon colors on the beach, the colorful houses of that village and all the fruit around! Lemon trees, orange trees, surfers and skateboarders everywhere!
I really loved Portugal. Not just like a fun place to shoot, but also the people are sweet and kind, food is cheap and overall I just love surfing and being in the water, can you blame me?
Klitmoller, Denmark
I had just visited Denmark about a month ago, with my friend Moritz. And trust me, if you like cold moody tones in your photos, and silhouette surfing shots, then this is a place for you! Prices can be, well, pricy. It’s the top of Europe and the northern you go, more expensive it can get.
“Cold Hawaii” is a unique spot. Very cold, I might add. I am sure it is more crowded in the summer, but when we went there in March, there wasn’t a single soul out there!
Yes, another cliche. But it is a beautiful one I promise! I first visited Banff last summer, when my mom came to visit me in Canada. We had so much fun. Apart from the park ranges flying to us with a helicopter, telling us to put down the fire. And sleeping in a car. And fighting the mosquitos, and crowds of tourists…
Despite the amount of people, that visited the national park that summer, it is beautiful. There are so many photo opportunities, you just have to dig a little deeper. There is the classic like Lake Luise and Banff downtown with a mountain in the background. But visiting Moraine lake and doing the 3 lakes loop with the car was really cool! You just have to be creative.
PNW – PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Where I live. The last place is a place that took my heart. I am not inviting you here, so don’t get any crazy ideas. We get too many tourists every year anyway. But I would love to brag about it a bit! I am talking moody. I am talking about the rain forest. Mystical, secret. Dark, but interesting. Pretty rainy.
No wonder why this became of the most visited Canadian destinations. Easy to see why photographers from all around the world love it so much. It is not just the scenario they are interested in. But the people. Incredible athletes, young entrepreneurs, ski bums in Whistler and hipsters in Vancouver. Our area has something special, nobody can deny that. Energy, where your flow just flows. You feel comfortable to be whoever you are and embrace creativity the place brings out in you. And that is a very powerful state for a photographer to be in.
And nature, surrounding us is just stunning. Waterfalls, glaciers that melt into a river over the summer and eventually pour into our lakes. I feel lucky, that’s all.
I had fun looking back to my favorite places I visited and I enjoy writing about them! I hope you will too while reading this article. What are your favorite locations to shoot? I am yet to make plans for where I will go when the rainy season hits Squamish, my home town. I would love to hear your recommendations.
Who knows? Maybe I will go somewhere different than Bali, this fall. Follow my daily adventures on my Instagram, and subscribe to this blog, to recieve my updates on my missions, expeditions and tips!
More about Alenka
My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love shooting nature, sports, sports in nature… underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! I’m stoked. Very simply put, I am a stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for a sunrise, ready to go to the airport and take a random flight… I’m stoked on living and I love what I do for work.
Photography, web design and digital marketing have been things I’m proud to call my job! Very flexible, lots of traveling and even more adventures than when I was a kid. Here, on my website I share tips on photography, spreading awareness about the zero-waste lifestyle and sustainabilty and crazy stories from my travels. Welcome.
I am definitely one of those rare photographers who won’t use lighting in their photo shoot. Why? Because I simply prefer taking photos, using natural light. I think it has a gentle tone on people’s skin, beautifully exposes the colors that are being exposed at the moment when the picture was taken, and last but not least – the picture feels more natural. It looks like I wasn’t trying too hard to take the photo, I simply took it.
Which is why I am sharing my tips today, on working with natural light to create beautiful photos!
Interested in expanding your knowledge on tropical photography?
I took this photo of my friend Luise, in Uluwatu, when I was in Bali. Using nothing but the natural lighting of the peaceful 6.30 morning. One of the things that I wanted to mention today, on working with natural lighting is waking up early. Making the most of the morning blue light and the afternoon golden hour is very important, and also the best time to shoot!
Using natural light for portraits is an interesting way of shooting.
First things first; It keeps things simple! What else do you need besides a camera? Another lens, and a tripod… maybe. Using the natural light is awesome for keeping a theme on your Instagram as well. Letting lots of light in your photos keeps them clean and bright! Something that has been popular for a while now.
Natural light is also ideal if you like portraits that show beauty, as well as reflect the character of the model you are shooting with. Natural light portraits are often more authentic than those taken with flashes. You can also play it very spontanuasly. If you want a great shoot, grab your camera and you’re ready to go. Sometimes, by the time we are done setting up lights, equipment and reflectors – the moment is already gone!
Remember that authenticity is often lost in the search for perfection – natural light photography is about embracing imperfection and candid shoots.
Staying out of direct sun is important too!
After 7 in the morning, the sun gets stronger, casting a very ugly shadow over someone you are photographing. The best solution to avoid that is to simply move into the shadow of a tree, or behind your house (like the photo above, with my friend Emma), under a rock or in the car! I suggest you let the sun in the photo just enough, but not too much. For example, let the light shine over the background of the photo, but not over the model’s face!
Maybe you can even play with the light in a way of putting the sun behind your object and creating a well-known contra-light. These are popular for silhouette shots too. You’ll get the best results when the sun’s setting behind the model just at the point it’s about to vanish over the horizon. The light is at its warmest and softest, and the camera can cope with the contrast.
A little more about me
My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love shooting nature, sports, sports in nature… underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! I’m stoked. Very simply put, I am a stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for a sunrise, ready to go to the airport and take a random flight… I’m stoked on living and I love what I do for work.
Photography, web design and digital marketing have been things I’m proud to call my job! Very flexible, lots of traveling and even more adventures than when I was a kid. Here, on my website I share tips on photography, spreading awareness about the zero-waste lifestyle and sustainabilty and crazy stories from my travels. Welcome.
Tropical photo shoots are fun but can get tricky at times. That is why I will share 5 practical tips on how to improve yourphotography while shooting in a tropical place. Tropical countries like Bali, Thailand, Costa Rica or Philipines are quickly becoming safe and popular destinations that are drawing photographers from around the world! If you are one of those photographers, who wants to get up close and personal with these exotic jungles, monkey forests, and stunning beaches, then this is for you.
The biological richness of exciting tropical destinations is uncomparable and these regions are filled with opportunities for some diverse content!
Personally, I have visited many SE Asian places where I found these tricks and preparations very useful! And I wish I would know them before. Explore my TROPICS MANUAL GUIDE to get even more prepared for these beautiful destinations.
These 5 tips for improving your photography in tropical places, are a bit less common than the classic ones you might already know! The learning journey never stops, especially for us, photographers!
1. Keep your gear in the bathroom:
According to Shutterbug, “In order to avoid the condensation issue, it is highly recommended to keep your photo gear in the bathroom with the door closed! Most rooms in the tropics do not have AC in the bathroom, so with your gear safely left in the bathroom, you can enjoy the AC in the main room while being able to grab your photo gear at a moments notice and be ready to shoot in the ambient outdoor temperature.”
I wouldn’t want to ruin my precious baby Canon 5D. Especially, because tropical places are pretty remote usually. It would take days (and some good coin) to get it over to Bali again, for example. So staying conscious will pay off in the long run!
2. Plan Your Photo Shoot And Bring What You Truly Need!
This one was a true lesson learned. A couple of times. So for me, it was like a lesson learned over and over again until I finally LEARNED MY LESSON. I can’t tell you how many times I found myself on my early photoshoot location in Bali or on top of Whistler mountain, only to realize I don’t have my SD card with me… Or I forgot the spare battery… polarizers, you name it! This photographer’s tip isn’t just for the tropical places. So I had to sneak it in here, just to make sure nobody else wouldn’t embarrass themselves like I did many times.
For example, when I shot withFlora Cristin, the female Indonesian longboarder.We would have 8 hour days in Bali, in the middle of nowhere so forgetting a spare battery or a drone charger wouldn’t be an option!
Polarising filters are one of the most useful DSLR lens accessories that you can add to your camera. Without getting too technical, a polarizer filters out some light that is polarized. This means that it reduces reflections and boosts contrasts. The most noticeable places that this has an impact is with blue skies and in water/ocean in which it can give a variety of effects. Which comes in useful in tropical places! The way many people explain the results of a polarizer is the difference that polarizing sunglasses can make when you put them on (in fact I know quite a few photographers who shoot through their sunglasses if they don’t have a polarizer with them).
Get a polarizing filter and experiment with it and you’ll quite literally be amazed by the results it will bring, especially shooting midday.
I also suggest you Head to the Beach When Others Avoid it
Another timing issue is that the beach can really come to life on those days that everyone avoids it because of inclement weather. Stormy seas, threatening and dramatic clouds and wind slowing lifesaver flags and trees over call all make for atmospheric shots. That is what you want! Tropical storms are absolutely stunning!
I cannot stress this enough. I think humidity is one of the major problems you’ll have to deal with when you’re visiting a tropical place. Condensation kills your gear, slowly but surely – that’s not a joke. Don’t get overly excited for the deep jungle bikini waterfall pictures that you see Instagram models posting every other week. Be prepared and keep in mind, that things may go south at any point.
Luckily, there is a solution to every problem – this one too! I suggest you invest in some good anti-humidity camera storage box. And I get mine from Amazon! To be honest, I think Pelican cases are your best option, doesn’t matter what kind of camera you’re shooting with! It comes with me, to every tropical places I go to.
And second – Warm your gear slowly inside your camera bag (or in a plastic bag), otherwise, you might as well dip your camera in a glass of water. When your gear goes from being cold in that nice air-conditioned room and is then quickly exposed to the tropical heat and humidity, water condenses all over it. This renders your camera and lens useless because they become all fogged up and potentially introduce moisture inside of your expensive equipment. Think about an ice-cold glass of lemonade on a hot, humid day and you get the idea.
I suggest you also bring plastic bags, wherever you go! Tropical storms aren’t a joke, trust me! And you ought to be prepared, better safe than sorry!
4. Do your research!
According to National Geographic, photographers should spend a lot of time doing their research. This helps us figure out what’s there—what the place is about and what subjects we need to cover. Read brochures and travel books. Go to libraries, bookstores, or onto the Web. Talk to friends who have been there. Pick up travel information at the country’s embassy. Find whatever you can that is relevant, and devour it.
Understanding the customs and traditions of a place is vital. For one thing, you want to be sure you act in a way that is not rude or offensive while you are there, and it’s hard to know what’s acceptable and what isn’t. For example, everyone has to wear a surong to a temple in places like Bali or Thailand! Don’t spoil your trip with an unexpected arrestment! BE RESPECTFUL
5. In the end, enjoy the moments you spent in tropical places. Yes, amazing photos are great to look back at, or to have something to brag about at your Instagram followers… but experiences matter the most.
Get out there. The only way to discover the rhythm of life in a place, and so figure out what to shoot, is to experience it. Many places, particularly hot ones, are active very early in the morning and late in the afternoon. For example, take Bali. The best light is at 6 in the morning and at 6 in the evening. In between – surf, nap, explore and leave your camera at home! So, get up early, and stay out late. Besides availing yourself of more opportunities, time spent discovering the place will enrich your experience.
When it comes to photography and creative arts, obviously feeling inspired matters the most. Don’t be forcing something, just to get some shots. While you’re on a vacation hang loose! Get lost. Wander down alleys. Sit in cute restaurants and watch others pass by. Follow the locals and adapt to the rhythm of the place, be more observant.
