I grow with him...
- MuSen
- Aug 31, 2016
- 2 min read
“The only photographer you should compare yourself to is the one you used to be. - Betsy Davis”
So my Nephew turned 1 year old recently this month. Wow, really? It has been a year! This is my Nephew! He is one of my best friends' son. Like millions of others, my best friend and I are both single child thanks to China's Single Child Policy back then. With no siblings we treat each other like sisters. Thus we refer to each other's kids as nephew and nieces. I was at this little guy's birthday party and documented some of the precious moments, such as the cake smashing.
My Nephew is one of my earlier clients. Although before that I had been practicing a lot on my own kids, but it is never the same. I remember how nervous and embarrassed I was when I went to their house and conducted the 6 weeks session. I brainstormed lots of great ideas but most of them failed. I didn’t have any studio strobes at the time and I picked a spot without abundant natural light sources. I had to turn the light on which has a yellow tin to it but forgot to adjust the white balance accordingly. And back then, the only post processing tool I used was Picasa and I didn't shoot in RAW. I managed to produce one okay image.
But the rest, more or less look like the following:
My best friend still loves me. She put that one good image on her birth announcement card, and sent it out to everyone. When I received that card in the mail, I cried.
That was when I sat down and trying to think things through. I decided to take action on a few things: to invest in a nice portable studio setup including backdrop stand and strobe light system, to start shooting in RAW and learning post processing in Photoshop and Lightroom, and to further brush up on my techniques.
When my Nephew turned 100 Days old, which is a big thing in Chinese culture, I took a lifestyle portrait for him. My post processing skills improved dramatically and I paid good attentions to details. I wasn't embarrassed with my images delivery.
Several months later, around Easter, when my Nephew was 8 months old, I invited my best friend's family to come for a sitter session. At that time I already got very familiar with my new studio setup and I also learned how to theme my sessions. The difference in quality was obvious and I actually was proud of myself.
I am surprised how much I have grown together with my Nephew. In less than a year, I went from a hobbyist shooting in JPG and post editing with Picasa to an advanced user in Photoshop and Lightroom who only shoots in RAW. I am developing my style and unique artistic sense. I want to thank my best friend for trusting me and handing her kid to me for milestone portraits, and continuing supporting me and encouraging me to become better. Thank you! And once more Happy First Birthday to my handsome Nephew! I am so honored to be the one capturing these important moments in your first year!
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