A Few Things I've Learned About Photography

1. Enjoy what you are shooting! It's like when you draw, design, write or do anything you don't love or even remotely like - it's going to show through onto the final product

2. Write tips and help teach others. I've remembered more in the last two weeks from showing/teaching others and it's STUCK then when I'm trying to teach myself.

3. Never compare yourself to others (in better or worse context). You just get hung up, deflated and demotivated. See my previous blog post - A Tale of Jealousy & Laziness

4. Do something different to renew your creativity!

5. The best equipment is what you have now. I shot for years with a Nikon D40. The difference between the images I got with it, over the images I get in the first years of my D700 are the fact that I loved that camera, I had it. My images didn't improve (at first) with an expensive camera. The fact is, you have a camera, learn how to use it to the best of it's ability and go shoot!

6. This relates to the previous one - you are not your camera, just like a chef is not their kitchen

7. Always remember what brought you to photography. What was the first thing that made you dive head first?

8. Always turn around!

9. Don't be afraid to get dirty!

10. Be patient. The shot will come

11. Eyes are drawn to contrast. Keep this in mind when shooting!

12. Break the rules of photography knowingly - but not your camera!

13. It's who's behind the camera, not the camera itself.

14. Don't worry what someone else may say about your image, if you love it, it's worth sharing

15. You learn to see beauty in everything, from every angle

16. There is always a photograph, somewhere to be taken

17. It doesn't have to be perfect! If it means something to you then keep it!

18. The best camera is the one you have on you

19. Don't isolate yourself from other photographers - you can learn so much from them!

20. Develop your own style. Sit down and work out what makes you happy, what jumps out and makes your photography brand you!

21. Find challenging, motivational blogs by other photographers worldwide!
My favourites include - Imaginale Design, Behind the Lens, Photo LoveCat - Free Photog Business Resources

22. Join a group of photographers local to you that are willing to get together and talk, swap tips & ideas and motivate you!

23. Get Pintrest - it's great for putting together shoot ideas, inspiration and everything else! It's really helped me (mine btw is Emorelia on Pintrest)

24. Like amazing photographers on Facebook, so they come up on your feed often and inspire and challenge you! I love Jose Villa, Rachel Brenke, Elena Kalis and Brittany Lealand

25. Don't be afraid to try something new, if it's only because you're afraid to fail. The below image of the adorable little boy, is one of my favourite images. This is from my first ever newborn shoot, and I was so nervous that it wasn't going to turn out and it would be a shipwreck. Well, turns out they're the images I'm most proud of so far!

Emily.

A tale of Jealousy & Laziness

Ok, now, I'm not one who readily admits my failings and undoings, but I'm willing to make an exception this time. Specially seeing as I'm feeling at this moment, I've been slapped repeatedly in the face with my most recent follies, laziness & jealousy. 


After a recent hard drive failure, I had to go through all of my old images. Images that I took when I was first starting out, photographing everything and anything. I noticed a few things, one being the amount of original ideas and experimenting seemed to peter out as the timeline went on. Back then, when I was 15-16, I didn't care if it had already been photographed, I got off my butt and did it, and made it mine. Looking at my more recent images, in the last 2-3 years, there aren't all that many photos. And those that where there, lacked brightness, enthusiasm, originality - me. Instead they seemed to portray boringness, sadness, apathy and a general "I'm only taking these because I feel I should" and not "I'm taking these because I WANT to". These images also seemed to have the past years sadness, brokenness & heart break stamped upon them, as I was dealing with my family's breakup, year 12 and redefining myself now that everything I had once known had crumbled. I was now expected to step out of high school knowing what I was doing, where I was going and who I was. 


The other ingredient to my artistic standstill, was the fact I received more praise then constructive criticism. Instead of people telling me that they where good images, but could be better. Or pointing out how I could improve, and therefore grow and keep striving to get better, I had people telling me how good I was. Now I'm not hating on the fact that people complimented my work and took the time to praise me, but the fact is, I grew comfortable, and didn't try to experiment and push my boundaries. My images stayed the same, and I grew comfortable and lazy. Where my head used to be over flowing with ideas, and how I could portray and capture them in 2D, I would consider doing so, and then putting it off. "I'll do it tomorrow", or "It's been done to death", or "I really don't want to" replaced my once flowing ideas. 


When I finished school, I was bought a new camera, a Nikon D700. Now, firstly being an expensive camera, I was adverse to taking it anywhere that it could be damaged. In my head, that was everywhere except the camera bag. Secondly, because it is a professional nature camera, it had no "auto" settings. The closest was "p" mode, and that never really gave me the images I was used too.  I missed the days of my trusty D40, where I could be lazy and make it do all the work and still get the image, and the carefreeness that I had with it because the whole set up was no where near the cost of the D700. This is when my now partner, Sam had come into the scene as well. He was constantly saying how cool "this" or "that" would be in a photo. I'd be frustrated and bored, and I'd ignore him, or brush him off. He kept pushing me to pick up my camera and help him capture the ideas he had, but I kept up my stubborn comfy state. 


Entering into 2011, I don't really remember picking up my cameras. At all. I was really sick, in the thick of bitter family breakdown, and trying to keep myself and Sam afloat. December 2011 was a turning point though. My forever amazing, patient Sam bought me something I'd been drooling over since I was 15. My coveted 105mm nikkor macro lens. I attempted to use it, and came up short because I was still lazy, and couldn't be bothered to use manual mode, and program mode just wasn't giving me the images I'd pictured I'd get. 2012 rushed upon me, and I was in a rut. I didn't know what to do now I was better and less stressed. This went on for a few months, until I stumbled upon a blog of a very amazing lady. Her name is Ale, and I read her blog from start to finish. 


(http://imaginale.blogspot.com.au/ if you're interested!)


This is what really kicked me up the butt, got me uncomfortable at how lazy I had been, and instead of observing and becoming green with envy over other photographers images, ideas and opportunities, I started to create my own again. I told myself 2012 was my year, for my photography, my graphic design & bettering myself. Once I decided this, my relationships with friends, family and Sam suddenly got so much better. I put more effort into them. Reconfirming that once you love yourself, you can love others better.


I'll shut up for now, and leave you with a montage of images that sparked me to write this post. These are images by my partner Sam. He has some amazing ideas, and where I still can't be bothered, or worry about breaking my camera, he goes there (I still don't know why I let him use my D700 with the 105mm macro in the same vicinity as fire without me - specially seeing as I was worried about me using the camera with fire - let alone Sam, camera in one hand (weighing 2kg) and lighter in the other, but the results speak for themselves).


Emily. 

What is exactly is MY style?

It's a new year, new name so I thought it's appropriate to have a fresh start. I'm starting from scratch again, and making over my "brand" which changed from eekay's photography to Emorelia Photography.

A bit on how I got my name - Emorelia Photography.

If you haven't realised, or know, my first name is Emily-Kate. Often shortened to Emily. Those that are close to me, inspire and challenge me call me Em. The morelia bit (Emorelia ) is the Genus of my beloved pythons, who where in fact the real starting point for my in depth love of photography and inspiration.



So Emorelia Photography is a combination of me personally and the humble beginnings of my photography adventure. Bare with me as I continue to publish posts delving into who I am, what and why I do what I do and my personality through my style of photography.

~ Emily

My First Wedding - a Taste!

Here's a select few shots I captured at my first wedding. It definitely was a learning curve! Working with so many people, so many variables and bad weather. It was a welcome challenge though, and I'm quite proud at the shots I did get!

And a big thanks to my boyfriend who doubles as my assistant. Sam is amazing for me, and my photography.

New Beginnings

So, blog renovations!

Coming Soon!