We recently connected with Dominique Carter and have shared our conversation below.
Dominique , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with 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.
I learned photography by following other photographers that I really liked on social media and just going out and shooting as much as I could. Sometimes I would shoot alone and other times I would shoot with others. One thing I wish I would have done earlier was to shoot more things and not hold myself to one particular style or genre of photography. As a photographer I would argue that knowing how to shoot everything from street, cityscapes, landscapes and portraits will help you develop your eye. I believe having a good eye for things is the most important thing for a photographer. Having a unique vision really separates you from others. The only thing that stood in the way of learning more was myself. Being naturally introverted in the beginning made it challenging for me to get out there and meet other people to learn from and work with. Pushing yourself into discomfort is definitely important if you want fast growth.
Dominique , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I got into photography unexpectedly, and it was never in my plans. I was going to college and I was working 2 jobs to support myself at the time and there was a void inside of me that wasn’t being filled. I needed something to challenge my creative spirit. I bought a camera and started to explore the city with some friends of mine that were also getting into photography. After some time, I fell in love with the process of exploring, shooting, and editing. I have now been doing this since 2017 and I have no plans on stopping. My whole life I have always been passionate about creating, expressing myself, and finding new ways to connect with others. Photography is a way for me to do all those things.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I strive for understanding and connection. The more I dive into photography and creating I learn more about myself and the world around us. It also helps me connect with others. My goal is to continue to connect with others and tell stories visually that can potentially resonate with others.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One thing that I am relearning now is not being able to rely on others. I’ve always had this chip on my shoulder where I felt like I had something to prove so it drove me to isolating myself and doing things on my own to show to others and to myself the strength of my self resilience and independence. I now know that you can’t do everything alone and you should always lean on others when you need to.
Contact Info:
- Website: domscarter.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/domscarter/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominiqueacarter/
Image Credits
Models in photos https://www.instagram.com/gretchen.cahill/ https://www.instagram.com/llesliecisneros/ https://www.instagram.com/heavuhh/