What I Did to Start Rural Media

So... you want to start taking pictures, and you don't know what to do. I get it. Everything is overwhelming, you never feel like there is a proper time to start, or you don't have the tools you desire to have.

It's okay! You do not need an abundance of resources to start taking pictures. You just need a goal, discipline, and a camera. From there, you can learn and configure what assets you need to be successful.

I started taking pictures on an iPhone. I began my photography journey by taking (mediocre at best) product pictures for a small business in my hometown. I have always loved marketing and digital content, but taking these product pictures brought out a new side to me. I began to care about the visual components of a photo. I cared about what angle I was taking a picture, the rule of thirds, symmetry, etc. I believe that only a small group of people care about minuscule details like that. I began implementing this into my every day life, caring about placement of certain items that were visually appealing. My creativity shines best through visual components. That's when I knew I was meant to be in marketing.

So, when I began college, I got a job at a boutique. There I took product pictures every single day. I would spend hours adjusting pieces in the smallest angle change. I spent way more time than an average person would curating pictures for this company, because I had a passion for creating aesthetically pleasing content.

One day, my friend told me I should try taking pictures of people. I said, "you know what... it may be fun!" With that being said, I did two trial shoots for my friend and her boyfriend, as well as my other friend graduating from college. I did this with a camera I borrowed from my family. I remember taking these pictures, and editing them on the Photos app on my MacBook because I did not know how to edit at all.

I took a chance, posted on social media that I was taking pictures, and my demand skyrocketed. People believed in me just because I was courageous enough to post my own photos. This is your sign to take the chance on yourself. You only have one life. Why wait to pursue something you love... when you can just do it?

Once you tell yourself you can do it, your will to learn will be there. Once I started getting customer attraction, I made it a point to spend hours on YouTube learning how to become a better photographer. I watched videos on Lightroom, ISO techniques, shutter drag, and even posing combos.

Moral of the story, it takes time. I am nowhere near where I want to be in terms of photography skill. But, how can you get to your end goal when you are too scared to even begin?

Start now. Life is too short!

I hope you guys get inspired by this post.

XOXO, Ang