Any other working/hobbyist photographers here? (1 Viewer)

[Dcarl]

Try to keep this short. I live about an hour east of Los Angeles in SoCal and worked with a realtor about 8 years ago. Long story short, I grew up skateboarding and taking pictures/videos with my friends and started to do that for Real Estate agents for a Remax Office. About 5 years ago I went completely freelance, set up my S corp, and have been growing every year with referrals, word of mouth, etc.

Most of my work is real estate/architecture. I'll put a few of my favorite (work) shots below.

Now, being that I love photography and am a nerd about cameras, computers, etc I also love shooting photos of just everyday life, trips with my wife, solo trips I take etc. I love shooting film, because it forces me to slow down and take my time and really think about the shots I want to take. Sounds cliche, but it is true. And there is no replicating the look you get from film.

For any camera nerds out there, I have a Leica MP with various lenses; 21, 28, 35. And I have a medium format camera, a Bronica S2A. I'll attach a few recent shots of my personal photography favorites below.

Any other shooters on here?!

 

[acezag]

Great job on fidelity with the WA stuff - that shot of the white home with the pool is pristine, and so difficult.
Haven't been shooting as much with kids, but spent a lot of years as a hobbyist focused on landscapes and cityscapes.

 

[mattross1313]

Some great photos there, the black and white street stuff is up my alley.
I used to be a hobbyist for a while but ended up selling my gear a few years ago - nothing exotic just a Canon DLSR and selection of lenses. Just didn't have much time for it recently. I'll try and dig out some of my favourites from the archives.

 

[Dcarl]

Great job on fidelity with the WA stuff - that shot of the white home with the pool is pristine, and so difficult.
Haven't been shooting as much with kids, but spent a lot of years as a hobbyist focused on landscapes and cityscapes.

Thank you! I do a lot of compositing. Flash shots blended with ambient shots in Photoshop.

Some great photos there, the black and white street stuff is up my alley.
I used to be a hobbyist for a while but ended up selling my gear a few years ago - nothing exotic just a Canon DLSR and selection of lenses. Just didn't have much time for it recently. I'll try and dig out some of my favourites from the archives.

Oh man, id love to see some street stuff. Probably my favorite thing to shoot right now, although I hate the term "street photography" haha

 

[cpac54]

@OfficerLovejoy is pretty darn talented!

 

[OfficerLovejoy]

I've been doing weddings as a side hustle for 8 years now.

This and some poker of course.

 

[AlbinoDragon]

Brilliant photos!


I'm an amateur shutterbug, at best, but have always loved photography. My Dad was a 'photojournalist' as his profession (actually, government public-affairs, but one that required lots of photos that he was responsible for). I learned a bunch from him, but because of his specific niche and the era he worked in, I have a soft spot for black-and-white photos.

Without context, the first B&W you posted was clearly done recently, but also could have been taken decades ago.


Thanks for sharing your work here.

 

[Dcarl]

I've been doing weddings as a side hustle for 8 years now.
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This and some poker of course.
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Great stuff! I’ve never been to interested in weddings, to much stress for me lol. Great pay and always respect the hustle it takes to handle those long shoot days.

Love that escalator shot. Feels like a photo i would take if i was in that situation in a public area.

Brilliant photos!


I'm an amateur shutterbug, at best, but have always loved photography. My Dad was a 'photojournalist' as his profession (actually, government public-affairs, but one that required lots of photos that he was responsible for). I learned a bunch from him, but because of his specific niche and the era he worked in, I have a soft spot for black-and-white photos.

Without context, the first B&W you posted was clearly done recently, but also could have been taken decades ago.


Thanks for sharing your work here.

Wow, very cool. I don’t have any kids yet, but if I did I would hope some of the photo bug would rub off a little.

Love black and white a lot recently. Actually, that first photo is probably from 4-5 years ago lol. Most of those are within the last year or so.

Regarding the first shot, it was some protest in DTLA forget for what to be honest, but I got lucky with how good the lighting looked and the sign and everything. Love when everything kind of falls together for you.

 

[JMC9389]

@Eloe2000 is IIRC

 

[CraigT78]

@justsomedude

 

[TheChipVault]

@Gus

 

[Dcarl]

Took a quick shoot on this warm Labor Day. Vacant so I’m going to be in and out and than back to the fam for the bbq around 1.

Enjoy your Labor Day everyone

 

[Gus]

Thanks for the tag @TheChipVault

Fun to see your images @Dcarl

I shot architecture professionally for about 5 years before going on a sabbatical that turned into being a stay-at-home dad. I don't know about your experience but I found working for architects and developers to be great (this project is their baby, yes they'll wait for the images to be done, and price? its their baby! whatever it costs!) while working for realtors was such a drag I only did if a few times (this is just a listing, not something they poured their life's work into... and the 75 images aren't ready by the night of the shoot why not??? Pay? Access to a beautiful mansion and you want to be paid???)

A couple old samples below.

Having a solid portfolio made it fairly easy to contact anyone and ask to shoot their space whenever I started tinkering with side projects. I thought climbing gyms would be a fun line of business, but never quite devoted the time to become 'the' photographer to call and fly out. Fun to shoot though!

Now I mostly just shoot casual pictures of my daughter on my phone... but have been breaking out the big gear again to take the formal shots of my recently delivered CPC set. Haven't done the retouching yet, but here's some fun previews that'll get spruced up a bit soon.

I do wonder if there's any opportunity in photographing people's sets, or even just their single favorite chip, and printing it out real big to put on the wall in the poker room. Been having fun tinkering with different ways to make chips look their best.

Looking forward to getting the full-set shots done so I can post the background/story of the set here on PCF!

Behind-the-scenes of the 'card' shoot...

 

[TheOffalo]

I consider myself an amateur food photgrapher, though some chefs and restaurants have hired me to take pictures for their menu, website, and/or social media. Some of those images have made their way onto Los Angeles Magazine, L.A. Times, even the Michelin website. My photos are usually not staged, so they can be a bit uneven with the lighting and backgrounds.

Here are a few shots over the dozen or so years I've been doing this, though I've really slowed down during COVID, since I had mostly stopped dining out:

Edit: And of course some fooling around with chip photography:

Edit 2: How could I forget the most important chip?

 

[TheChipVault]

I consider myself an amateur food photgrapher, though some chefs and restaurants have hired me to take pictures for their menu, website, and/or social media. Some of those images have made their way onto Los Angeles Magazine, L.A. Times, even the Michelin website. My photos are usually not staged, so they can be a bit uneven with the lighting and backgrounds.

Here are a few shots over the dozen or so years I've been doing this, though I've really slowed down during COVID, since I had mostly stopped dining out:

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Edit: And of course some fooling around with chip photography:

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I didn't know you had this talent although now I think I remember you saying this now

 

[Eloe2000]

Yep, I am am a photographer as well. Weddings. Miami and New York primarily. Was also a skateboarding/snowboarding kid. Worked in finance/banking for a good stretch. prior. Enjoy the flexibility of what I do now.

 

[triton]

Wow lots of great photographers here. Am an amateur who is trying to improve composition skills.

 

[Dcarl]

Thanks for the tag @TheChipVault

Fun to see your images @Dcarl

I shot architecture professionally for about 5 years before going on a sabbatical that turned into being a stay-at-home dad. I don't know about your experience but I found working for architects and developers to be great (this project is their baby, yes they'll wait for the images to be done, and price? its their baby! whatever it costs!) while working for realtors was such a drag I only did if a few times (this is just a listing, not something they poured their life's work into... and the 75 images aren't ready by the night of the shoot why not??? Pay? Access to a beautiful mansion and you want to be paid???)

A couple old samples below.

View attachment 1558648
View attachment 1558649
View attachment 1558650

Having a solid portfolio made it fairly easy to contact anyone and ask to shoot their space whenever I started tinkering with side projects. I thought climbing gyms would be a fun line of business, but never quite devoted the time to become 'the' photographer to call and fly out. Fun to shoot though!

Now I mostly just shoot casual pictures of my daughter on my phone... but have been breaking out the big gear again to take the formal shots of my recently delivered CPC set. Haven't done the retouching yet, but here's some fun previews that'll get spruced up a bit soon.

View attachment 1558651

I do wonder if there's any opportunity in photographing people's sets, or even just their single favorite chip, and printing it out real big to put on the wall in the poker room. Been having fun tinkering with different ways to make chips look their best.

View attachment 1558653
View attachment 1558654

Looking forward to getting the full-set shots done so I can post the background/story of the set here on PCF!

Behind-the-scenes of the 'card' shoot...
View attachment 1558663

Man, great images! Love the school building (?) one. Very cool, you did very similar work to what im doing now. Yes realtors are a pain to deal with most of the time lol but being self employed I have a good bunch of people I work with who are very friendly and flexible with my schedule. I have one client who won't use anyone but me, ill try to refer her to people when im not available and its a hard no to her ha.

I think doing this full time now over 5+ years I got a decent book of business with the 'good' realtors of the area. Also, get plenty of side jobs off the realtors. Shooting parties, events, etc.

I actually missed a final table of a poker league im in because I had a random birthday party event to shoot that was $500 for a few hours work and I had to make the hard decision ha.

I consider myself an amateur food photgrapher, though some chefs and restaurants have hired me to take pictures for their menu, website, and/or social media. Some of those images have made their way onto Los Angeles Magazine, L.A. Times, even the Michelin website. My photos are usually not staged, so they can be a bit uneven with the lighting and backgrounds.

Here are a few shots over the dozen or so years I've been doing this, though I've really slowed down during COVID, since I had mostly stopped dining out:

View attachment 1558734View attachment 1558735

View attachment 1558737View attachment 1558738

View attachment 1558740View attachment 1558739

Edit: And of course some fooling around with chip photography:

View attachment 1558746View attachment 1558747View attachment 1558748

These look great man. Hard to believe you weren't using some artificial lighting in those because they look great. And yes shooting chips is fun. Using a macro lens I assume? I've shot Tina chips with my macro and brought it into photoshop and edited out the label to mess around with label designs.

Yep, I am am a photographer as well. Weddings. Miami and New York primarily. Was also a skateboarding/snowboarding kid. Worked in finance/banking for a good stretch. prior. Enjoy the flexibility of what I do now.

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Nice man. Yeah growing up skating and being a part of a "individual" activity really lends itself later in life to want to work on your own. A lot of things I'm into are very singular sports. Golf, photography, etc. All things you can do by yourself and it's all on you. I always make the comparisons.

Wow lots of great photographers here. Am an amateur who is trying to improve composition skills.


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Cool shots man. I like the sunset shot a lot. Remember, while there are basic ideas/rules there also aren't any! Do what YOU like and what looks good to YOU.

This is very cool to see all the talent on here. I had been kicking around the idea to make this thread for awhile just been busy but glad I did. Would love to see more of your guys personal or work photography!

 

[TheOffalo]

These look great man. Hard to believe you weren't using some artificial lighting in those because they look great.

Thank you! Means a lot! While most of my shots aren't staged, I will say the avocado/scallop one was set up--I was shooting it for a chef for inclusion in a book. The first shot of the seafood tostata was shot for the same chef for the menu and social media of his restaurant--Holbox in Los Angeles near USC--and I shot that next to a huge window with some reflectors to direct the natural light.

(Surprisingly, the sesame ball one did not have any artificial lighting, and was just taken at a regular table at the restaurant. I'm not even sure how I got a mostly black background in that environment.)

The others were just in-environment. Most were just taken with an APS-C mirrorless with a fast Sigma 30mm prime.

And yes shooting chips is fun. Using a macro lens I assume? I've shot Tina chips with my macro and brought it into photoshop and edited out the label to mess around with label designs.

Yup, a budget Nikon micro macro lens on a budget Nikon DSLR body. Handheld LED light, some black posterboard for the backgrounds, and believe it or not the chips placed on a flipped-over space grey MacBook Pro for the semi-reflective surface.

I've always coveted a full-frame digital camera, but I just didn't have the money to invest in the gear. And once I got closer to being able to afford that stuff, COVID happened... then PCF happened and I spent all my money on chips!

 

[Dcarl]

Thank you! Means a lot! While most of my shots aren't staged, I will say the avocado/scallop one was set up--I was shooting it for a chef for inclusion in a book. The first shot of the seafood tostata was shot for the same chef for the menu and social media of his restaurant--Holbox in Los Angeles near USC--and I shot that next to a huge window with some reflectors to direct the natural light.

(Surprisingly, the sesame ball one did not have any artificial lighting, and was just taken at a regular table at the restaurant. I'm not even sure how I got a mostly black background in that environment.)

The others were just in-environment. Most were just taken with an APS-C mirrorless with a fast Sigma 30mm prime.



Yup, a budget Nikon micro macro lens on a budget Nikon DSLR body. Handheld LED light, some black posterboard for the backgrounds, and believe it or not the chips placed on a flipped-over space grey MacBook Pro for the semi-reflective surface.

I've always coveted a full-frame digital camera, but I just didn't have the money to invest in the gear. And once I got closer to being able to afford that stuff, COVID happened... then PCF happened and I spent all my money on chips!

I get people asking me what camera they should get all the time and i say the same thing.

Technology has come so far with digital sensors that pretty much any decent camera made in the last 10 years will be more than good for most people.

Take the old canon 6D. Full frame camera i used it for years, and now it’s only $600. You could get 2 of those for less than a rack of tigers

But in all seriousness, i love talking cameras so if anyone here has any questions on what they should get or anything I’d love to help.

 

[mattross1313]

I consider myself an amateur food photgrapher, though some chefs and restaurants have hired me to take pictures for their menu, website, and/or social media. Some of those images have made their way onto Los Angeles Magazine, L.A. Times, even the Michelin website. My photos are usually not staged, so they can be a bit uneven with the lighting and backgrounds.

Here are a few shots over the dozen or so years I've been doing this, though I've really slowed down during COVID, since I had mostly stopped dining out:

View attachment 1558734View attachment 1558735View attachment 1558737View attachment 1558738View attachment 1558740View attachment 1558739

Edit: And of course some fooling around with chip photography:

View attachment 1558746View attachment 1558747View attachment 1558748

Edit 2: How could I forget the most important chip?

View attachment 1559165

Excellent photos!
Great to see you are a proven photographer - can't wait for your pending trip to The Plaza

 

[QueenBCC]

Great photos!
A fair amount of talent in here! It’s awesome you’ve been able to make what you love your job!
More of a hobby for me than a professional career (maybe one day I’ll get into it)…
I don’t own a camera, so I wouldn’t know where to start in that department, seeing as technology has far exceeded what it used to be when I took photography back in High School.
I primarily photograph nature with my iPhone

 

[justsomedude]

@justsomedude

It's safe to say I'm mostly retired from photography at this point.

I still do 2-3 small jobs a year, but I've essentially exited that career path. It just became all encompassing... took up every spare moment of life... shooting, editing, emails, phone calls, scheduling, invoicing... it got to the point where I was no longer enjoying it... the passion had turned into work. Which happens sometimes.

There's something to be said about turning off the office lights at 5pm and not having to think about work again for the next 15 hours.

I still shoot personal stuff. Actually a lot more now than when I was doing it full time. I've been able to find the joy in it again.

 

[CraigT78]

It's safe to say I'm mostly retired from photography at this point.

I still do 2-3 small jobs a year, but I've essentially exited that career path. It just became all encompassing... took up every spare moment of life... shooting, editing, emails, phone calls, scheduling, invoicing... it got to the point where I was no longer enjoying it... the passion had turned into work. Which happens sometimes.

There's something to be said about turning off the office lights at 5pm and not having to think about work again for the next 15 hours.

I still shoot personal stuff. Actually a lot more now than when I was doing it full time. I've been able to find the joy in it again.

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I'm both saddened and happy to hear this for you!

 

[Dcarl]

It's safe to say I'm mostly retired from photography at this point.

I still do 2-3 small jobs a year, but I've essentially exited that career path. It just became all encompassing... took up every spare moment of life... shooting, editing, emails, phone calls, scheduling, invoicing... it got to the point where I was no longer enjoying it... the passion had turned into work. Which happens sometimes.

There's something to be said about turning off the office lights at 5pm and not having to think about work again for the next 15 hours.

I still shoot personal stuff. Actually a lot more now than when I was doing it full time. I've been able to find the joy in it again.

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Man, im going through the same thing right now. The burn out is real. It is great money if you're willing to give your all and hustle. But this year has shown me I need an escape route in the next few years. I don't have kids but when the time comes, I couldn't imagine doing what I do now with my 'schedule' and trying to maintain my sanity and be a part of my future kids life.

My plan is to keep going hard the next year or so and than start looking for companies that need a staff photo/video guy. The portfolio is massive at this point so if I can find some type of 9-5 where im done and have nothing to worry about when I clock out, that would be ideal.

99% of the time when im lurking on here, its cuz im editing on my computer. As is the case right now, going through photos I shot last week for an AC company for their marketing. It does feel never ending sometimes, but I'm not digging ditches here so I cant complain to much at this point.

All that being said, I think you should still be shooting for fun!

 

[Okku]

Back in high school, which wasn't that long ago for me as most know, I did quite a BIT of car photography. I had built up quite a name around the Vegas valley for being someone to have shoot your car and did it with quite a few people. This was before COVID, so it basically started from my senior year of high school into probably my sophomore year of college. This was 2017 to about 2020ish or so.

I've always used my nickname, Okku, for anything that I've done creative related and those that are close in my family call me Okku instead of Oscar.

I'll share some of my favorite pictures below and you can find my instagram too which is where I was always posting pictures. Daily at points and I was really trying to gain a following but this was way before I really knew anything about marketing or anything related to that. Probably would've gotten bigger if I kept pushing with social media back then, but I got somewhat scared during COVID and backed off quite a bit from going out, huge meetups etc.

Would love to get back into this stuff because it's the same as design work. You shoot someone's car, edit the pictures, make them look nice and deliver to get an exciting message back that they love them and then word spreads. It's the greatest feeling!

 

[TheOffalo]

lol @mattross1313 was just about to tag you

 

[mattross1313]

lol @mattross1313 was just about to tag you

Yep already here for car pr0n
Great pics @Okku - the S body and Z body stuff is very tasty

 

[Okku]

Yep already here for car pr0n
Great pics @Okku - the S body and Z body stuff is very tasty

Plenty more where that came from

 

[mattross1313]

Not delved into my Lightroom catalog for a while now, and looks like a bunch of my Automotive stuff is missing. Here are a few on the more asbract side of things that I liked, and one I took at the British Touring Cars. I'll go through the aviation stuff soon, hopefully they are are still in the library!