Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andrew Fisher. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Andrew, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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.
As a photographer, there’s a lot to learn! I personally don’t think I will ever be done learning. Everything from technique, camera settings/equipment, and even editing software are tools you’ll need to learn. Not to mention the business side of your art. Starting out, there’s a great deal of juggling involved to learn these skills. What kind of photographer do you want to be? Who will your clients be? What is your budget? What are your prices?
Luckily, there is an extremely large community of photographers who are active online… posting tutorials, writing articles, and creating “How-to’s”. This allows you to develop a process that works best for yourself. I am completely self-taught, referencing online sources when needed – but I’ve learned mostly through trial and error. Learning my cameras interface and practicing my craft has worked so well for me. Camera settings and image styles take time to conquer and are often perfected through the feedback of others. Both of my parents are artists and although they’re not photographers, their expertise in composition, light, and depth have proven invaluable for me in learning photography.
If there’s one thing I’d like to pass onto anyone just starting out, it would be to learn your equipment. Understand your settings/lenses and how aperture, shutter speed, and light can be used to your advantage. You can achieve a variety of desired looks by managing the settings properly. This will allow for more creativity and a larger portfolio of options for clients.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
My name is Andrew Fisher, I’m a photographer from Texas, currently based in the Midwest. I’ve been a photographer now for about 8 years. I consider myself a part-time professional photographer, as I am also currently active duty in the United States Air Force.
I do most of my work with tourism and outdoor companies, but I enjoy all sorts of photography. I also shoot fashion/lifestyle, branding/products, concerts, western/rodeo, food, urban and cityscape. My goal is to be a jack of all trades, so that I can please any clients that request my work.
I like to create work that tells a story and allows for interesting visuals. I produce iconic photos that are both colorful and full of life. I work with all sorts of clients, and love to have fun and challenge myself when choosing projects to work on.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
As a photographer, people let you into their lives. There’s often a lot of vulnerability associated with being in front of a camera, because of the intimate moments people ask you to photograph. Proposals, graduations, portraits, and other events let you into your client’s life. Commercial and branding work is rewarding as well! I love working through the creative process to achieve the vision of a company, and seeing the finished product. There are plenty of friendships and connections to be made in the photography world!
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 an active-duty member of the Air Force, my creative endeavors have been much different than my peers. It’s been a perfect full-time gig while building my brand and skill. It might seem obvious, but I think it’s a great idea to start off part-time, and develop a style and business plan for your brand. I’ve been able to create a solid portfolio and build the confidence and know-how to run my own photography business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.arfisherphotography.com
- Instagram: AndrewFisher7
- Twitter: AndrewFisher7