One of the most daunting aspects of pursing a creative or artistic career for many aspiring artists is not knowing how to learn the craft. So, we asked some very talented artists and creatives to talk to us about how they learned their crafts and we hope their stories will help you in your journey.
Maverick James
When I was younger (maybe around 14 or 15) I started writing some songs based off certain popular music that’s been known for years now, inspired me to make my own music. The songs I made back then was kinda weak to be honest with you but it was new for me and I liked what I was doing at the time. Read more>>
Oscar Hidalgo
Becoming a Director of Canzion Institute has been a lifelong process. I have been playing music and leading worship at my local church since the age of 14. Even though I had no prior knowledge of music, my older brother taught me a few chords on the guitar and piano. From there, before YouTube and Social Media, I would learn on my own from different musicians at my church and places I would go visit. We were so poor that my parents couldn’t afford music lessons. It wasn’t until I made it to college that I took my first formal music lessons. Read more>>
Ginny Luke
I get to play electric violin and sing on arena stages and travel the world. Despite the music industry’s challenges and hardships, I am thankful a small town girl from Dubuque, Iowa has gotten to pursue her dreams on an international level (and I’m still pursuing!). Read more>>
Kyla Sanders
Youtube is my craft. I have relentlessly been working towards bettering my craft since I founded my love of content creating over three years ago. Throughout this journey, I’ve learned the ins and outs of what it truly means to be a multi-platform creative. Many people don’t take content creating seriously or deem it as just a hobby or pass time. What I love about this generation of young influencers is that not only is content creating a stream of income in itself, it’s also an outlet of self-expression. One of the main goals I try to express through my content is be yourself and go after the things you want in life, even if it seems unattainable. I always say my only regret with making content, especially pertaining to my Youtube journey, is that I didn’t start it sooner. Even though I started my Youtube channel three years ago, I just recently got monetized earlier this year. I’ve learned that consistency is key and that was an obstacle I had to overcome due to balancing college, work, and essentially life. This may have kept me from being further along in my journey, but I wouldn’t trade any moments. I’ve come this far carrying a heavy load, which makes my journey that much more special and that much more of a blessing. Essentially, mastering my craft has come with learning what works specifically for me and having a personalized niche catered to my content. Along the way, I found that the only way to progress in anything you want is to dedicate time to work at it and learn it to the best of your ability. Learn and you shall grow. Read more>>
Generations Dabke Troupe
Dabke is a traditional dance which originated in the Levantine countries and is typically performed at many big events including weddings and other traditional gatherings. Most people learn the basic dabke moves by joining the dabke line at events and following the leader. Most of the girls on my team met through a dabke class provided by OSU students. After learning more of the dabke moves, we put together an all girls team and began to put together routines to perform at events. Knowing what I know now from starting my dabke team, there really isn’t a way to speed up the process since many people learn at a different pace. All while trying to get the performers on track, I need to be working on background plans like new moves, new music, and new routines. The most essential skill for the team is leadership, and multitasking. Being able to plan times when everyone is free to practice and making sure everyone is focused during our practices is one of the main jobs as a leader of the team. With everyone having busy schedules, it was hard to find times to practice, especially during the school semester. The main obstacle that stood in the way was that all of members started and are still at different performance levels. Read more>>
Robert John
Learning what you are actually doing and why you are doing it means more to the performing Artist’s growth than anything else in my opinion. Knowledge is power and if you practice, study and continue looking for new horizons upon your craft, you are bound to feel the impact of actual manifestation through you Art form/Work. Learning your special craft is one of my favorite things to do in my personal business/industry of Magic and Entertainment, as new methods of innovation continue to ground break the industry. Read more>>
Stephen Bowman
I used to watch my mom put on make up before she went to work at night. That fascinated me–her transformation. She was a charge nurse at a county jail, but she felt that making an effort (ie. painting her nails, wearing make up) was a stress relief for the inmates. I used to play around with her make up and eventually she let me apply make up on her. She’d get dressed up afterwards and we’d go show it off at Sizzler. It was the only real quality time with her as a young child because she worked at night. Read more>>
Finn Arnold
Almost all of the knowledge I have about graphic design, screen printing, and embroidery has been self taught or through youtube. In high school, I would just sit on photoshop and illustrator trying to see what type of design I could make. I started learning all the tools and the hot keys to make the design go faster. At that time it was never even about translating that design onto clothes but more of just a fun thing to do. Screen printing and embroidery were more through youtube and reading online but those topics are tougher to learn without any hands on experience or machinery to watch. The main obstacle I found was that customizing garments is extremely tough if you don’t have any equipment so I ended up calling a print shop in town and asked if I could do a free internship and they let me come in a few hours a day. This is what really sped up my learning process and I wish I had done that sooner. There is only so much reading and watching youtube that one can do but there isn’t much progress until you get in the environment. Finding a mentor that can give you tips and tricks from their experience will go a long way. I think a lot of skills are needed to work in this industry but some of the crucial skills are patience, passion, and paying attention to detail. With the amount of variables, machinery, and production knowledge needed to make a design come to life these skills are necessary. I think the biggest obstacle now is not getting defeated when I’m not coming up with designs that I think the market will like. Most of our young lives we are graded on a scale through school, winning or losing through sports, or other reinforcement from an outside source but with clothing design there isn’t someone giving you an A+ when you finish a design. I personally feel as an artist I can really get into my head about if something is “good enough” even though I’m not sure what that looks like. I try to make garments that I would personally wear myself and hope others do the same. Read more>>
Pat Reedy
Most of the people I know who play music for a living seem to have started young, either they come from a family of musicians or started in band class of some sort when they were schoolchildren. Not me, I learned on the street. Literally. I was a homeless street performer. I got into trouble in my hometown and head to leave, penniless with nothing but backpack with a blanket in it. I don’t think I even had photoidentification. I hitchhiked down to New Orleans with a hippy girl I had met and ended up squatting in abandoned buildings in the 9th ward. An eccentric old drunk man gave me a beat up guitar that needed some work, so I fixed it and started playing in the French Quarter for passing tourists. I usually played on Bourbon Street; the benefit of this street was that it was so loud that hardly anyone could hear how awful I was. I knew 5 chords and played constantly. I met other seasoned buskers (this is the proper term for street performers.) These were people who had been doing it since before I was born and some took me under their wing, teaching me a lot. It was exciting. I felt like I had been born again, given a new chance at life. I later graduated to Decatur Street and then Royal Street, then on to bars. I live in a house now, of course, and my wonderful wife and I pay the mortgage together. I’ve since toured in every state except Hawaii, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain, UK, and Ireland. I’ve made a living doing the thing that I love. Read more>>
Solveig Horsfield
While studying, I felt incredibly overwhelmed with everything there was and is to learn as a CG artist. Creating my first 3D objects, I thought that there was no way I would ever feel good enough to actually compete within the industry. Even after I graduated, I still didn’t believe I was ready to work as a 3D artist! It was only after I took a couple of months to work on what turned out to be my specific skill — modeling and look development for characters — that I started gaining confidence in what I was doing. I might not be the first to say this, but putting in the work will yield results. Study artists that you like, watch tutorials instead of tiktoks, join challenges within the community, just keep working towards your goal! Having talent is great, but only when you take the time to practice will you actually improve! Read more>>
Jordyn Anese
I learned how to be a radio personality by being one. A lot of on-the-job experience and a great person to work under for sure. The process is best learned at its natural progression, so there’s nothing I would’ve done to speed it up. My connection with my hometown Flint, Michigan and my love for music and talking are the most essential things. I can’t say there’s been obstacles, but I can say that being a mom and thinking of ways to portray the image that I can be proud of the same way motherhood gives me pride. Read more>>
Riley Douglass
The best teacher for me has been trial and error. I spent a lot of time trying to stay inside of a safe box when I first started with photography. I would try to replicate Pinterest photos and only take pictures straight on. I think many photographer begin this way. I quickly learned that this was not going to get me the results I wanted. Now I am all about trying new things and getting creative with angles, lighting and composition. When I lay in bed at night new ideas for photos come to my mind and I keep a notebook by the side of my bed to write them down. Read more>>
Kate Thomas
I originally learned graphic design at community college and that really helped me realize that I wanted to focus on that for my undergrad. After 4 years at CalArts, I had earned my BFA in graphic design but was feeling a bit burnt out on the idea of constantly networking to get a full-time job at a design firm. I ultimately decided to go to grad school at MCAD and that is where I really developed my current practice of design and calligraphy based collage. Grad school really opened up the possibility of mixing media and being in a studio with painters and illustrators inspired me to make things with my hands rather than working strictly digitally. I honestly don’t think there was anything I could have done to speed up my learning process because I am currently working with knowledge that included years of failure, rejections and regrouping. I wouldn’t be making the work I make now if I had been 100% successful and fulfilled with graphic design straight out of undergrad. To clarify, I don’t think everyone needs to go to school to iron out your interests and creative process but you do need to surround yourself with talented people (online or in-person) that will challenge and encourage you. My biggest obstacle specifically in learning calligraphy is that I am left-handed and a lot of the tools for calligraphy are tailored for right-handed people. It wasn’t until I found the right tools, through trial and error, that I realized I could actually work with ink to achieve a style I liked. Read more>>
Crystal Brennan
After making wood signs for a few years I began to see an online advertisement for a small laser cutter. I became fascinated with the idea of adding laser cutting and engraving to my business. I watched countless you tube videos and joined numerous Facebook groups trying to learn everything I could about this particular laser. I became obsessed. I saved up all of my profits and finally pulled the trigger. The laser was very easy to use especially since I had already done so much research. I quickly learned the ins and outs and realized the potential my business had. After using this laser for a few months I knew it wasn’t big or fast enough to run the business the way I wanted to. If I was going to eventually make this business my full time job, I was going to need an upgrade. I ended up purchasing a much larger laser and had to learn a whole new program and system. Looking back on that journey I believe that all of my research was essential to that learning process. The internet has a wealth of knowledge and I used that to my advantage. If I could go back in time I would skip the small laser and go straight for the big one. I was my own obstacle. I lacked self confidence even when others saw the potential. Having determination and self confidence is an essential part to running any business! Read more>>
Alex Whatley
I started off as a bedroom DJ with absolutely no equipment except for my family computer. I would download my favorite songs and splice them together using software such as Audacity in order create blends and mixes. It wasn’t until 2017 that I acquired my first controller and started learning how to DJ. I never really used anything to aid me in learning other than simply watching other DJs play. I fell in love with studying the techniques and storytelling of other DJs. I applied these techniques to my practicing at home. Through utilizing my controller to make mixes at home. Read more>>
Ayelen Baliva
I started painting at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. With a lot of time on my hands, I had all day to dedicate to learning how to paint and draw flowers. I started a certificate program through my local Botanic Garden, where I learned a lot of techniques and other knowledge about plants and art. Although, even with all that time on my hands, it was challenging not to criticize my art and compare myself to others (professional artists). I wished I had more time, and I also wished I would start painting earlier in life. This was one of my biggest challenges because I couldn’t speed up my learning process or change how things were. I had all the time in the world, but even so, my mind was not always my friend. The lack of patience was frustrating. Patience and trust in the process are two skills that are a must when starting a new career. It takes time to achieve your goals, but it is totally worth it. Read more>>
Solomon Annan
I love music as a consumer more than the majority of things in the world. I only began making music after listening to my favorite artists and feeling they should have done a song or a line different than the final product. As I challenged those Ideas by creating music of my own, I found I consumed much less than I had before. I’m an obsessive. I spent a lot of time locked away perfecting my sound and making what I thought people would enjoy. I found that without the inspiration of others I was often stuck and making music I was no longer passionate about. I’ve taken a lot more time in the last couple of months to step back and live in the present a little more. Music is just a capsule of experience, and for a while, I wasn’t creating enough moments to write about. I wouldn’t say I would have changed anything because working so intensely did help in creating my sound. Although if I could speak to that person locked away creating a year or two ago, I would tell him its ok to take a few more breaks to enjoy the moment. It makes better music. Read more>>
Josh Kline
Learning Photography has been a lot of trial and error, as well as countless hours watching youtube videos and reading old photography books. I’ve been taking pictures for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until about 2 years ago that I finally got myself an interchangeable lens camera. Up until that point I’d been using point and shoots or just my phone. I absolutely loved taking pictures and capturing serene landscapes and moments. Once I got that camera though it was boots on the ground, shooting as much as I possible could, exploring whatever types of photography I could and seeing what I enjoyed and what resonated with people. I signed up for a year long challenge to get myself more motivated and hold myself accountable. This was huge, because we were given a prompt each week and challenged to create something unique, as well as get in the habit of using your camera a lot more often. This was a great period for my photography as it forced me to really commit to learning to use my gear, and how to shoot for different concepts or styles. I was also fortunate enough to have a few friends who are models. They got me started with shooting TFP (free collaborative shoots). A lot of those shoots really pushed your creativity and collaboration. In those shoots no one person is in control of everything, which was great prep for working with a number of different photo clients that are all looking for different things and are all coming from different levels of understanding about the photographic process. Once I started getting consistent shoots going and building out my portfolio I made the jump into film photography as well, which offered a ton of new creative tools, as well as new challenges. As far as learning photography, I don’t think you ever stop learning; the real hard part is taking the time to reflect and apply everything that you do learn and not get wrapped up in how previous work could have been better, but reflect on it as proof of progress and improvement. Read more>>
Scott Hebert
I used a sometimes excellent/sometimes terrible learning method for myself: repetition and a lack of satisfaction. Also, it was my pitch, my project. I wasn’t going to set this all up and ask someone else to do the heavy lifting. I don’t mind the heavy lifting. It’s a distraction from all the other things I should have been working on. (I’m never more productive on side projects than when I have something to do.) After I proved to myself that I could get an editing job done, I wanted to do it better. That meant better techniques and better equipment and more repetition. I checked YouTube and Reddit for help when problems came up and applied the lessons. Read more>>
Betsy Landsteiner
That’s a great question! There are so many routes each person can take to achieve a goal, but for me it started mostly by accident. I had always loved the concept of video. As early as 9 years old, at any family gathering or event you’d most certainly find a shoulder mounted VHS camcorder perched atop my diminutive 4’5″ frame. That led to getting my first camera for my 15th birthday, and while that little point and shoot was a far cry from a cinema camera, it DID have video capability and I loved being able to create with that little thing. I continued to take photos and force my siblings to be in little plays that I would direct. I took a few classes in high school on photography fundamentals and a video production class my senior year which opened my perspective and awareness immensely. Those who were close to me at the time have mentioned it was then that something in me switched. Read more>>
Kyrstin Inman
clothing and make believe was something that always spoke to me whether that being me dressing up in costumes or dressing up my polly pockets, barbies or my stuffed animals. I was constantly using the “Barbie Fashion Plate sketch book” to draw up outfits. Growing up My mom always let me express myself though clothing because she loved fashion and was a personal stylist running a boutique as her job. In middle school I joined theatre and at the time I wanted to try acting but had so much stage freight that I decided to join costume crew be cause I have always had in interest in clothes and so I could still be apart of the production in some way. This ended up being the best thing that happened to me. Going forward into high school I spent all four years in theatre and got inducted into the theatre troupe as a thespian. I was apart of 8 productions and every single one I was apart of costume crew. I became assistant head costume mistress my junior year, then head costume mistress my senior year. after graduating high school I took a three year gap from going to college because I had no idea what I wanted to pursue and even though I loved costumes I knew didn’t want to stay the theatre long term. And its funny because whenever I would hang out with my bestie Daniela we would talk about doing photoshoots but it was always a what if. So honestly I predicted my life but yea anyway. Fast forward to 2021 I decided to move to Austin Texas because I needed a change of scenery and had made the decision to go to Austin Community College for graphic design. Two months into moving I was invited to go to a magazine release party for University of Texas’s fashion club and while I was there my friend told about a different magazine called “A La Moda”. which is an independent org. that doesn’t require being apart of a school. My friend told told me to submit an application for styling and that’s what I did. I was accepted and that was the beginning of my life as a stylist and creative director. Read more>>
Alberto Mojo” Peña”
Acting and directing has led me down a lifelong journey of learning. I fell in love with the craft in high school by working with three of my best friends – my brother, Gil, and my two homies, Shan and Drini Karemani. We formed our production company named Boggy Creek Films, based on where we’re from in Kissimmee, Florida. Because we always had a skeleton crew, we would all typically act, direct, write, and edit our projects. Once we transitioned from skits to short films, I finally got to work on a character for multiple shooting days. There’s something so fascinating to me about the process of developing a character and creating their mannerisms, speech pattern, how they walk/talk, etc. Read more>>
Mimi Dukes
I learned a lot from my Studio Art degree in college, but I also learned from years and years of using my God given talent to learn and perfect techniques. One of the things that I believe benefited my use of color and color matching was being limited to the use of only primary colors (red, yellow, blue) and white and black in my college painting courses. I also learned so much about composition and movement in my work. As an artist, I don’t think there’s any way to speed up the process of ‘learning’. I know for me it is best to just start working. I get into a flow state, and let the process happen while leaning on the techniques learned over the years. As a creative I believe it is essential to ‘think outside the box’. One has to let oneself be free to experiment and try new techniques no matter your medium. I recently had a client request that the painting look like rock and roll! I definitely had to think outside the box on that one but the end result was perfect. I find that I have to think about the clients request and let my creative energy take over. Challenging oneself is an amazing way to grow as a creative! Read more>>
Miriam Hull
Being a self taught artist, I learned through trial and error. I recall first starting and really wanted to be a realism painter, all of my subjects were flat lol. As easy as it could’ve been to give up in the beginning, I didn’t. Realism was hard for me and I was easily frustrated until I learned that I had to build color, add shadows, add highlights, depth, etc. In that moment, the lesson for me was to take my time. Processes take time, rushing the process in a way makes you miss small details that could mean a lot in the end. In which, I now can apply to my everyday life, outside of art. Read more>>
Daniel Ruin
Age of Ruin started in 1998. We were all friends in our teenage years, and were heavily influenced by music. Metal was changing rapidly during the 1990s, and grunge was coming onto the scene. Pop punk was a new phenomenon. So naturally we hung out at record stores and music shops. You would see flyers hanging up announcing local shows. This is where the magic really kicked in. We realized that there was a local scene; you would see the same faces at every show. We couldn’t get enough of this, and it also occurred to us that we could do the same. So all of the jam sessions in our parents’ basements were preparing us to be a real band. We took that energy and started writing original music. But we learned quickly that there is still a business side to being in a band. We studied what other bands were doing right. That meant recording a demo. That meant making flyers and making friends with the people that worked at kinkos so we could get copies made, then working our tails off passing them out at shows. It also meant supporting other bands. In terms of musicianship, the only way to get better is to practice your instrument…a lot. Read more>>
Dezzi Kamali
I learned my craft from reading books and watching cartoons. Every creative thought at a young age would cause an energy shift, an internal feeling that wanted to express itself externally. I would mimic the line-work, color and the patterns seen in the shows and the character structures in my books. I’ve taken art classes in and outside of grade school and put in the practice whether required or not. Knowing what I know now, I would have challenged myself more to draw on the days I didn’t feel like it. The amount of books I studied would’ve tripled. Read more>>
Oliver Dominguez
Learning a craft takes perseverance and hard work. While many may say they can do it, it’s not easy. Learning any skill takes time, just like learning to walk before running and processing everything around us. Read more>>
Deacon Earl Darnell
Early on, I learned a lot by hanging out with older musicians who have been in the game a long time, many longer than I have been alive, and just listening, soaking up the advice they gave and knowledge they shared. Eventually, with their advice and the experience I picked up along the way, I learned a lot of what NOT to do to end up in certain situations that I saw many of my peers in. Knowing what I know now, I would have studied music more formally and at the scholastic level. I never attempted to learn music theory or to read sheet music because I just assumed it would be to confusing. Read more>>
Nathan Kemmerer
Trial and error, using myself and friends in the process. It was rough, apprenticeships are the way to go. Read more>>
Schelli Jones
I took my first sewing class in a small town in California in my early 30’s . It had been a skill I never knew I was missing. Noone in my family knew how to sew, and I grew up in an era where skills like this had been deemed unessential and uncool to take in school, if it was offered in the first place. As much as I’d love to say, “I wish I’d learn earlier,” I truly believe everything happens when it is supposed to. I learned because I wanted to and I was in a place in life that I could truly enjoy it. Read more>>
Mateus Hueb
Filmmaking involves various elements such as storytelling, visuals, sound, acting, and editing. While theory certainly plays a role in understanding the principles and techniques behind filmmaking, the practical aspect is often more crucial in the creative process. I have always focused on studying, but I really learned the most when I was given the chance to be on a set. There’s no where to run when you’re working, so you have to challenge yourself and try your best. Read more>>
Wanda Imchareon
From these past few years, I have been studying to become a professional story artist while practicing witchcraft at the same time. How did I get into witchcraft? Initially, I am always interested in magical world-building since I was young. I would say that it is one of the things that inspires my artwork the most. Of course, witches have always been an important key to magic! Characteristically, They are more than just someone who can cast spells; their history is also fascinating and unforgettable. I always respect them as humans who are being mischaracterized too much, both in media and in real life. The more I research their craft, the more it reminds me of how I learned to become an artist. This leads to the projects revolving around their story and practicing witchcraft at the same time. Read more>>
Robert Bustamante
Throughout my creative journey, I have naturally gravitated towards immersing myself in the pursuit of new crafts, even if it meant encountering numerous mistakes along the way. One particular instance stands out vividly in my memory when I felt compelled to expand my creative outlets beyond music and venture into the realm of content creation. With a deep-seated belief that mastering the intricate processes of music production, mixing, and mastering could seamlessly translate into acquiring skills in photography and videography, I embarked on this new adventure. Read more>>
Sheroma Hodge
Once upon a time, in a world before the dawn of ubiquitous internet and technology at our fingertips, I discovered my love for creativity and design. It was like stumbling upon a hidden treasure; a spark ignited within me and I knew that I had found my calling. Read more>>
Sylvia Coppola
My path began with pottery classes at Western Carolina University in the mid 1970’s. Starting with hand building and then wheel classes, I learned that clay was a wonderful medium to work with. Joan Byrd was my first clay professor and taught her students the English and Japanese style of working with clay based on many teachings from Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada. The classes were very structured in learning throwing techniques, form and function in creating a pot. High firing in a gas kiln was taught along with the many lessons involved along the way in glazing and preparing the pots for firing. Read more>>
Guitar Frenchie
Growin’ up to the sounds of my parents extensive record collection, I was drawn to music and particularly guitar at a young age. I picked up my first guitar when I was 12 and have dedicated my life ever since, to the craft! It’s a lifelong process that I’m still learnin’ and being inspired by other musicians from different backgrounds. Read more>>
Savannah Carroll
Growing up I was involved in theater and dance. In doing so, I gained knowledge on how bodies move and storytelling through location, costuming and body language. I first became interested in photography in eighth grade through a summer camp, then a darkroom class my freshman year which slowly snowballed to where I am today. Knowing what I know now, I wish I would’ve stayed true to me and what I love to do. In. my own experience, I grew up wanting to become an artist, but somewhere along the line I gave up on that dream. It wasn’t because I lost my motivation or my love for art, it was trying to figure out how I wanted to produce these ideas I had in mind. Photography stuck with me it made sense. The best part about working with photography is no day looks the same, you have to be flexible. Read more>>
Alicia
About 6 years ago, I was asked to create a meaningful product with a specific word on it that would be available for purchase at a gathering for women. I explored a few different options and ultimately decided that I wanted to create a custom piece of jewelry using metal stamping. I knew nothing about the craft of metal stamping but I watched some videos and purchased the supplies. I quickly learned that it was harder than it looked! I messed up so many times as I was learning. I was ready to give up until I remembered that all crafts take time to learn, so I practiced on less expensive pieces of metal until I was comfortable working with the sterling silver pendants I was using for the project. I also had to come to the realization that metal stamping is much different than metal engraving. Engraving creates a uniform product while stamping allows for a touch of creative whimsy with variations in spacing, depth, and alignment. I love how each piece I create is unique. Read more>>
Katie Vela
I began my film photography career quite recently- in October of 2022. As a Master’s student at The Ohio State University studying public history, I felt as though all I did was work or school, and I needed a creative hobby. I was drawn to film photography as it combined my passions for history, fashion, and photography. However, prior to this decision I had never purchased or utilized a film camera, I had only used my Canon Rebel T7 to recreationally take photographs. I had no idea how expensive or difficult film would be to learn how to use. Unlike with digital photography, in order to shoot with film you must buy the roll of film (which only has 36 images apiece), pay for the roll of film to be developed (or develop it yourself utilizing expensive chemicals), and be exceedingly conscious of the lighting exposure and the ISO of the film while shooting. As a result, shooting with film is both expensive and difficult to master. For the first couple months learning how to utilize film, and occasionally still today if I am shooting in new conditions, each photoshoot was a gamble. That is to say, I was never sure if the film would be able to be developed, if the photos were good quality, or if the film was loaded correctly. I learned how to use film primarily through trial and error, the guidance of my friends such as Ellie Grills (@ellie.grills) and Kyler (@Kylerjeanphotography), YouTube, and TikTok. Although I am sure there are more technical ways I could have learned how to shoot on film that would have sped up my learning process, I think learning through experience and guidance from friends was the best method as it kept the learning process enjoyable and at my own pace. However, as I get further into my photography career I have begun to do more research into the technical methods of utilizing my film cameras. Read more>>
Madison Kamas
Photography has always been a part of my life. Since I can remember, my mom was always taking photos of my sisters and I, and just our life around us. From film to digital, she carried that talent with her for pretty much my whole life. As time went on, she got better, and became more successful. Her passion was newborns, families and senior photos. She had her work printed and featured on nursery floor galleries in hospitals, magazines and even stores! I thought she was just so cool for doing all of that and being so successful all on her own! Read more>>
Kenneth Yarus
After testing some normal college art programs and touring big studio schools I settled on the less traditional route. Or perhaps the MORE traditional route. I ended up studying in art academies. Unaccredited, unorganized, and small. They nurture along the traditions and practices that brought about some of the most amazing artists in history. They focus heavily on drawing and observation. Practicing hours a day. Four hours of drawing still life in the morning and four hours of drawing sculptures in the afternoon. The goal is a sharpened eye. Reflexes of hand and eye to capture the beauty of the world. I am forever grateful for that time spent sharpening my skills. There is no short cut or fast way to develop like that. However, the academies refuse to focus on business or marketing. As a professional artist I have needed those skills as much as my drawing skills! In a way the academies shunned such subjects with a “you’re not ready yet” excuse. The reality is they never approach the subject and I needed to pursue that information myself. Read more>>