We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Harvey Holmes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Harvey , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I learned photography through a collaboration of YouTube tutorials, books, but most importantly, practice! Many people go to school to study photography. Personally, I do not feel as though that is necessary in order to be a successful photographer. You just have to be willing to put in the time and find others to learn from.

Many people learn skills at different paces. I honestly believe that I learned at a fast pace. I would not want to speed up the learning process any more than I did. I believe it’s not about the destination, but more so about the journey. Skills that I believe are essential to be successful with photography are attention to detail, understanding light and listening to your client.

With all skills, obstacles will come and go. With learning photography, obstacles that I felt as though were obstacles at the time, was not feeling as though I had the “right” equipment to get the best pictures. You see other people’s work and you wish for yours to be just as great. A lot of times, this can discourage many, believing they are not good enough. Thinking about it now, it was not an obstacle. I needed to learn how to adjust and make art with what I had available.

Harvey , 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 bought my first camera during the summer of 2021. At the time, I had my own YouTube channel and felt as though I needed something more efficient to shoot my videos on besides an Iphone and a gimbal. I purchased a Canon EOS 4000 D because it was affordable. I had a friend who had a successful videography company, state that it might be better to learn how to shoot things that are “still” before capturing movements with video recording. I started learning how to shoot. I was hooked on learning how to take a decent photo. I started capturing food before anything. I had a YouTube channel that was geared towards food recipes, plus, I was working part-time at a local bakery that was in need of decent pictures for their website and marketing, so i jumped at the opportunity!

After awhile, I wanted to learn how to earn money from photography on my own. There are certainly jobs and opportunities for food photography, just not a lot in the area in which I reside. I began using my friends as models. They would let me practice on them. I bought a backdrop setup from Facebook marketplace and practiced. Soon, I applied for a job with GradImages and was hired. This job involved taking close ups and portraits of graduates on their special day at various colleges and universities throughout the Northeast region of the US. This helped sharpen my skills to the point where I began setting up my own freelance work, offering multiple packages for individuals who are interested in having photographs done. Whether it be sports, professional headshots, fun shoots, couples photos, etc.

I service Pittsburgh, PA and surrounding areas.

What separates me from most photographers, is that I truly intend to understand my client and how they operate. I tailor shots and locations due to personality, occupation and many more characteristics of the client. Many people are not sure on how to stand, sit or smile. This can make any photoshoot awkward. My goal is to make the experience fun, compelling and overall something that the client would want to do again.

I am most proud of the fact that this is truly fun for me. I enjoy the shoot, the editing, all of it. This is an art. I cannot express how happy it makes me to capture moments that mean something to others. Moments can be forgotten. A lot happens in life. A picture is there as a reminder.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is that YOUR art is YOUR art. Yes, there are guidelines and tips/tricks to get great results, but not everything in being a creative is black and white. For example, a 24 mm lens is a wide angle lens and is great for capturing street photography. There is someone on instagram who takes ALL of their photos with a 24 mm lens. I’m talking portraits, nature, headshots, etc. and guess what, their work is great! Bend the rules, break the rules, create your own rules, whatever. That is what makes art, art!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Yes, there is. I did not like photos as a kid, nor do I have photos with people who were important to me as a child (family, friends, etc). Some of these people I will never see again. This is why I am a stickler for grabbing great photos for people during moments that they believe count and are important to them! As an adult, I try to get a picture of every beautiful moment I have with the people I love and adore as well.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: 5ivesensesphotography