Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Adam Hinders. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Adam, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

My not-so humble beginning with photography started out as a discomfort/hatred of “family photos”, the odd posing and the forced smiles were enough to inspire me to hide at every photocall. The realization hit me that I had never met a POC Photographer in all that time, and I felt at a loss for representation in my area. I knew nothing when I picked up my first camera ( a Nikon EM with a 50mm f1.8 lens), and expectedly my first roll of film was a mess. Determined to succeed on my 2nd roll, I enlisted the help of the ever-present Youtube University, where I learned about focal length, aperature, ISO, and the many functions of my own camera body. I once again set out (notebook and camera in-hand) to shoot rolls af film, but his time with a patience and intentionality that I had not exhibited before. Over time my adventures taught me lessons and humbled the amateur I still was, and I was grateful to have people to ask questions of ( hundreds of questions), and I progressed I became confident.

Adam, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m A, a Virginia-based Photographer and Creative Director. I initially started out with film photography, wielding a Nikon EM 35mm camera. After expanding my collection of analogue cameras, I eventually taught myself digital photography which has expanded my portfolio extensively. My work as a photographer has always heavily on self introspection, curiosity, and vulnerability. From the earliest I can remember, I had aways hated family and school photos, the rigid formality was to me. With my work I leave space for people to see themselves in several dimensions, and with that comes inclusivity and exploration that I highly encourage. I currently specialize in Editorial & Portrait photography, primarily because I value individual sessions versus group projects (which overwhelms me less and allows for conversation,laughter, and discovery). A recent addition to my portfolio and skillset has been videography, and that ranges from intricate behind the scenes of photoshoots to series of film-related conversations.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

As a Creative my art and craft does not end once I put away the camera, the way I choose to view and experience the world around me is ingrained into my soul. Over the last few years I’ve been overwhelmed with the urge to return to a sense of “intentionality”, and creating my emotional and soulful experiences. The year one version of me would be driven insane on how lax I have become about photography, whereas in my eighth year of photography I emphasize on patience and avoiding internalizing frustration. I’ve left photoshoots and events feeling like a failure, and woken p the next day accepting that I have a whole day to grow and avoid comparing myself to my peers. The external criticism is nowhere near as much as I overthink and criticize myself before even taking a shot, but I accept adversity as steps towards new experiences and growth.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Its alright to say no – there is an emphasis on being available and present for any client or potential collaboration, a symptom of the lesser known epidemic of “exposure”. Whether it be instagram direct messages or my business inbox, there will always be people taking spots on the calendar, resulting in photoshoot galleries waiting in-line to be edited. Photographers are commonplace, almost phone has a camera and the person attached it has a “style” they subscribe to. And for the longest time I was of the belief that my clients wer of the utmost importance, and I would answer requests and book myself at every hour of the day. But this halted when I realized that I was losing agency and ownership of my work, and noticed clients and models alike taking advantage of my time and openness. It was a devastating realization, and I strived to change immediately, emphasizing not only my time and energy, but my relationship with my true clients. Maturity found its way into my business as I implemented changes and opened myself to being a growing business, and there is always a lesson to be learned on the horizon.     

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alt-nero.format.com/home
• Instagram: alt_nero
• TikTok: @alt_nero