We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chris Pittman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chris below.

Chris, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

One of the most common seen trends in the photography industry is the use of film, specifically for portrait photography. Popular film usage can range from 35mm to medium format, point and shoots, and even polaroids.
Don’t get me wrong, when I first started in my career as a photographer there were plenty of photographers who did amazing portraits on film because they were the ones I learned from. However these photographers were knowledge and took time to study and examine the complexity of film, which gives you a much higher appreciation for it.
Shooting on film can be costly, and it requires paying attention to detail because you can’t simply view your shot right after you take the photo, see what you need to fix, and then take a new, better photo that can turn out great. When you’re shooting on film on professional level it requires you to have a good understanding of the lighting, shutter speed, iso, and most importantly focus.
Of course with anything, the moment film became high demand it caused a big increase in price that all of us photographers noticed really quick. Film that was usually always available and easy to find became a frequently sold out item and sometimes rare to see on shelves if at all. I would use the example of when Cinestill released the 400D in 35mm and 120 film stock. It took me months to get my hands on that coveted purple box. A problem that I don’t think I would have had if this was 5 years earlier.
We are even at a point now where you can find plenty of Adobe Lightroom Presets specifically designed to give your pictures a “film” look to them.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a Washington DC based freelance photographer. Photography has been part of my life since I was a kid and then became part of my professional life as an adult. I have been a professional photographer since 2017 and my work is the result of 8 years of continuous learning, experimenting, and evolving my style.
I shoot street, landscape and portrait photography with portrait being my most favorite. I love the process of working with a client, understanding their vision, seeing the clothing, props, lighting and background and then putting everything together to create an image that brings their dreams to life. My goal is to make my clients feel comfortable and confident, while still being able to capture magical moments.

I am always learning new techniques about camera settings, lighting for both indoor and outdoor, natural lighting and flash lighting, even posing. All which can sometimes make or break a photo. I believe that the more knowledge you gain on a subject the more it adds value to yourself as it relates to your business.
I always look back at my older photos for inspiration and also when I need to show myself how far I’ve come in my creative story telling. I’ve proud that my business has grown and has allowed me to take the next step in my journey by exposing my work to a bigger audience and brands.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Social media has been the best source of new clients. Social media plays a huge part in everything today, specifically business and how and where most conversations start. When a brand post a photo on Instagram, you can literally see all the key players they tagged that are behind the scene. Use that information to your advantage.
Sometimes I’ll reach out to photographer that I’ve seen work with a brand or agency that I could see myself working with, simply to ask how they got the job and take any advice they offer.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The easiest way I get new clients is simply by reaching out to new people directly on social media. Most of my new clients have been models or modeling agencies that I’ve seen work with other photographers or brands that I follow.
You can’t hesitate to reach out first. Put yourself out there and ask for the business. Someone once told me that the nobody will know you want to work with them if you don’t ever tell them you want to work with them.

When you reach out make sure you have all your ideas in order. Know why you’re reaching out to this specific brand or model. Make sure they understand what your ideas you have for them are and how it relates to their past or current campaigns or vision. They will want to know what value you can bring to them or their business while being honest about how it will benefit you also.
Don’t only use social media, if you can find an email address then that would be the preferred way to communicate when you’re dealing with more establish brands, models, or agencies. It also shows maturity and commitment to what you’re trying to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.christopherjphotography.com
• Instagram: @photozbychris.film