Welcome

Welcome to my first post on the Photography Confessions blog. The idea for this site came out of an ah-ha moment I had one morning about a month ago. Over the last number of years, I have been asked numerous questions about photography and my thought process about creating images from other photographers. While I have been blessed with the ability to help many, I am always a little nervous giving definitive answers. This is not because I don’t want to help. It is quite the contrary. Like most things in life, photography doesn’t have one clean cut answer or approach. There are many ways to approach the craft and business of photography. Differentiating and celebrating one’s own unique vision has been a key to my success.

I taught my first photography class in 1998. I remember clearly a big mistake I made when teaching that class. I instructed a student in the class the worst light was high noon sun and to avoid it at all costs. Sometime later, I was talking with the same photographer about a recent photographic trip he took. He shared images he made on that trip. They were beautiful. He added there were a lot of images he didn’t take though because he shouldn’t shoot in full sun if he wanted to make good pictures. My stomach turned. I knew instantly where that came from. Images from his trip were not created because of me. Why? Because I passed on a rule I learned from an instructor that I never questioned. I had since learned full sun can definitely create wonderful imagery.

Since then, I made amends for the poor information I shared. I am happy to say he is someone I consider great friend today. That mistake though is a big reason for this blog.

What we are able to do with photography is evolving at a radical pace. Digital capture, Photoshop, digital proofs, shoot and burn, video capture, social networking, branding, and many more terms were not in most photographers vocabulary ten years ago. The creative tools we have at our disposal is nothing short of amazing. Trying to figure out how to use them in a meaningful way is another story. This blog is a compilation of random thoughts that enter my head about being a working photographer trying to balance creativity and business while creating the best client experience I can. I look forward to the journey!

Biff Ulm – VADA Photography