No Money, No Problem
Not having the resources for expensive cameras or equipment was probably one of the best things that could ever of happened to me.
I love to take pictures. Actually it’s more of a passion, like an extension of me. I just love to shoot! Unfortunately, I am probably one of the worst photographers out there. I don’t know much about cameras or settings and really never had the desire to learn all that. I just wanted to take great, stunning, amazing pictures! I had so many pictures that I thought were wonderful I thought I would enter photo contests! Yes!
© Stephanie Laird
Upon entering my first contests my images were torn apart, as rightly they should have been. My compositions were okay but I was always getting criticized for my lighting, clarity, POV (what the heck was a POV?) exposure, angle and everything else under the sun.
As much as I love photography I could not afford the cameras, lens, flashes etc. that all my peers were using and were very good with. I had a very inexpensive digital (you know the kind, you point, shoot and the shutter goes off about 10 minutes later) but knew in my heart I could create art with this.
My husband, knowing my passion for photography, for Christmas one year bought me Adobe Photoshop Elements 2. Oh great, just what I wanted, not really. I hate learning anything technical (that’s why all the instructions on my camera were, uh somewhere unread) and Photoshop? Really? I am photographer, an artist, a purest with photography! Needless to say my box with this amazing little program remained unopened for about 2 years.
I can’t remember what made me finally decide to load the program on my computer but I finally did. Little did I know that finally loading that program would open so many creative doors and wonderful adventures ahead! Now, I am not saying the program was easy to learn because I don’t think it is. I am not saying I know all it can do because I most definitely don’t. However what I do know is that it can help me create the art that I always wanted to.
© Stephanie Laird
My artwork has evolved over the years and I am constantly learning more. I have won many competitions including 1st this year for the Equine Photographers Network for Artistic, Best of Show twice in a row at the California Mid State Fair, First for the National Photo Awards and many more then I care to list. I was able to get a licensing agent who licensed my art to companies like Leanin’ Tree, RSVP, Eurographics who in turn sell under a lot of different names. I have been commissioned to do all sorts of really cool projects and have met so many amazing people along the way.
I guess my moral for this story is you don’t have to have the best equipment. I still only use Elements and have not upgraded to the more expensive versions of Photoshop. Although I do have a better camera, it is far from the top of the line. I think if you have a desire you can create anything. And, as with all art, it is totally subjective. What speaks to me may not speak to you. I still get criticized and sometimes I have to agree with some of my critics but for the most part I create what I want and although it may not be “correct” in a lot of ways it makes me happy and tends to sell pretty good! I think it’s okay to be a little different too. I am still a lousy photographer but that hasn’t stopped me from creating awarding winning photographic art.
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