Y
ou can tell a lot about someone’s
personality from their Instagram
feed. Sometimes I stumble across
an immaculately presented
photographer’s profile, with a grid of
thumbnail images that present a serious level
of organisation. I scroll down through the
rows and rows of thumbnails, each horizontal
image sharing the exact same dimensions,
genre and style. There are no vertical images
randomly tossed in, or a behind-the-scenes
selfie added on a whim. That would just cause
outright destruction to the viewer’s scrolling
experience, wouldn’t it? I look through these
thought-out, consistently presented profiles
and think, “Why doesn’t mine look like this?”
My Instagram is a jumbled mess of genres
and mediums, resembling one of those
optical illusions you did with your eyes
crossed in the 1990s. However, there’s a
very good reason/excuse for this. A quick
consensus from people I consider to be close
friends concludes that my personality is
“impulsive” and “energetic”. I received moreoffensive replies, but these were
my favourites. However, I like to
think of myself as opportunistic.
I’ve been told time and time
again to specialise in one genre
of photography. On paper, it’s a
fantastic business model. But
while clients could identify my
skillset, I would burn out, become
unmotivated and slip into
automatic shooting. That’s it then,
isn’t it? I can’t specialise because
it just doesn’t fit my personality.
By not specialising, my
portfolio is diverse. The
approach introduces weird and
wonderful commissions – filming
environmental documentaries, photographing
Crufts-winning dogs for advertising agencies,
teaching workshops or filming Photo Escapes,
my behind-the-scenes photography films.
Shooting broadly enables us to really
amalgamate our technical skills. I regularly
employ techniques learned from mytravel, wildlife and landscape
photography in my wedding
shots, for example, which has
also no doubt helped to createmy style. My (^) Photo Escapes
films have improved my tutoring,
as presenting to the camera
forces me to analyse why I’ve
chosen that subject, on that spot,
with that lens, and in that light –
and pass on that wisdom.
Photographic challenges and
new genres are designed to keep
you fresh and creatively inspired,
but while not specialising works
for me, I recognise it’s not a
way that suits everyone. It can
mean having to invest in lots of different
equipment and software. My work is varied
and commission fees differentiate massively,
but being able to create a business where I
can enjoy each day is the reason I became
a photographer. Either way, embrace your
personality and let your work reflect that.
PRO BIO
John is a professional
freelance photographer
based near Oxford. He’s
commissioned by private
and commercial clients on
projects all over the world
and covers a myriad of
different genres
jeaphotography.co.uk
All images © John Alexander
SPECIALISE IN NOT SPECIALISING
Basically, if it involves a camera, I’m in
Y
oucantellalotaboutsomeone’s
personalityfromtheirInstagram
feed.SometimesIstumbleacross
animmaculatelypresented
photographer’sprofile,withagridof
thumbnailimagesthatpresentaseriouslevel
oforganisation.Iscrolldownthroughthe
rowsandrowsofthumbnails,eachhorizontal
imagesharingtheexactsamedimensions,
genreandstyle.Therearenoverticalimages
randomlytossedin,orabehind-the-scenes
selfieaddedonawhim.Thatwouldjustcause
outrightdestructiontotheviewer’sscrolling
experience,wouldn’tit?Ilookthroughthese
thought-out,consistentlypresentedprofiles
andthink,“Whydoesn’tminelooklikethis?”
MyInstagramisajumbledmessofgenres
andmediums,resemblingoneofthose
optical illusions you did with your eyes
crossed in the 1990s. However, there’s a
very good reason/excuse for this. A quick
consensus from people I consider to be close
friends concludes that my personality is
“impulsive” and “energetic”. I received more
offensivereplies,butthesewere
myfavourites.However,Iliketo
thinkofmyselfasopportunistic.
I’vebeentoldtimeandtime
againtospecialiseinonegenre
ofphotography.Onpaper,it’sa
fantasticbusinessmodel.But
whileclientscouldidentifymy
skillset,Iwouldburnout,become
unmotivatedandslipinto
automaticshooting.That’sitthen,
isn’tit?Ican’tspecialisebecause
itjustdoesn’tfitmypersonality.
Bynotspecialising,my
portfolioisdiverse.The
approachintroducesweirdand
wonderfulcommissions–filming
environmentaldocumentaries,photographing
Crufts-winning dogs for advertising agencies,
teaching workshops or filming Photo Escapes,
my behind-the-scenes photography films.
Shooting broadly enables us to really
amalgamate our technical skills. I regularly
employ techniques learned from my
travel,wildlifeandlandscape
photographyinmywedding
shots,forexample,whichhas
alsonodoubthelpedtocreate
mystyle.MyPhotoEscapes
filmshaveimprovedmytutoring,
aspresentingtothecamera
forcesmetoanalysewhyI’ve
chosenthatsubject,onthatspot,
withthatlens,andinthatlight–
andpassonthatwisdom.
Photographicchallengesand
newgenresaredesignedtokeep
youfreshandcreativelyinspired,
butwhilenotspecialisingworks
forme,Irecogniseit’snota
waythatsuitseveryone.Itcan
meanhavingtoinvestinlotsofdifferent
equipment and software. My work is varied
and commission fees differentiate massively,
but being able to create a business where I
can enjoy each day is the reason I became
a photographer. Either way, embrace your
personality and let your work reflect that.
PRO BIO
John is a professional
freelance photographer
based near Oxford. He’s
commissioned by private
and commercial clients on
projects all over the world
and covers a myriad of
different genres
jeaphotography.co.uk
All images © John Alexander
SPECIALISE IN NOT SPECIALISING
Basically, if it involves a camera, I’m in