Kevin Thom - Hamilton, Toronto, Ontario Photographer

I did a shoot with Shirley on Aliso Beach in South Laguna, California. We set up the shoot by email, and initially, Shirley was a bit nervous about how it was going to go, but I assured her that it would be fun. After all, how could it not be? We’d be hanging out on a beautiful beach, the wind in our hair and the surf at our feet, with my camera riding along as an unobtrusive observer. I couldn’t see how it wouldn’t be fun. When I met Shirley, I was struck by her radiance. She positively glows, and it was indeed easy to get fun and beautiful photos of her.  I think the ocean brings out a sense of joy in all of us, and it didn’t take long for us to relax into a flow of playful shooting.

Shooting contre jour in that brilliant California sun provided dramatic accent to the already spectacular setting. The ample light also afforded me the luxury of high shutter speeds, even with my camera dialed down to ISO 50. One of the reasons I really like Canon DSLRs is that they have the ability to shoot at ISO 50. Sure, high ISO speeds are desirable in low light conditions, but low ISO speeds are also handy because they allow me to stop down to f2.8 in sunny conditions. Anyway, because of the bright light, I took the opportunity to encourage Shirley to move, jump and dance. Freezing action amps up the fun and energy levels of a photo.

Shirley’s in the process of choosing her final images from the shoot, but I couldn’t resist sharing these few samples of our fun afternoon on the beach.

It baffles me when I hear other photographers complaining about things they have to shoot, whether it’s commercial work, weddings, portraits, nudes, etc. Ok, well scratch that last one. I’ve never heard anyone complain about shooting nudes.

So why do people shoot what they don’t like to shoot? Is it because of money? None of us got into photography to get rich. There are plenty of other ways to do that. For instance, real estate investment and derivatives trading are both profitable jobs. No, we got into photography because we love it, and we have something to express. That isn’t to say you can’t make money doing photography. In fact, there are plenty of photographers who do quite well in this regard. Look at my heroes Liebowitz, Platon, D’Orazio, Karsh. They succeeded because they live and breathe and love what they shoot.

I sometimes hear the argument that people shoot the stuff they don’t like to shoot because it brings in cash so they can sustain themselves long enough to shoot the things they love to shoot. That doesn’t work. Shooting something you don’t enjoy saps your energy, and you’ll have none left over for what matters to you. This fact is borne out by the hordes of frustrated photographers who claim they don’t do creative work any more because the paid work sucks up all their time.

The fact is, there are different strokes for different folks. If you don’t like shooting a particular type of photography, you can be sure that someone else absolutely loves it. That person is going to get the work, and feel quite satisfied doing it. They are the ones who will create creative, thought-provoking and evocative images in that style. Meanwhile, you’re going to be scrambling for scraps, feeling resentful, and producing dull and uninspired photos. A better strategy is to do the kind of photography you love to do. Check in with yourself while you’re shooting. Do you feel elated or annoyed? Do you feel free or frustrated? Do you feel alive or dead? Discover what you love doing. Focus on it. Promote it. Revel in it. If you can do this, your passion will show through your images. You will get the work, and here’s a bonus: you will get paid well to do it.