Gaining My Education

Some of you might have noticed a logo of a dragonfly on my site that leads to a page proclaiming myself to be a FotoFly Certified Photographer. I worked for the local Utah photography company FotoFly for a few years, but as an editor rather than a photographer. Gaining my education and certification from the FotoFly Academy is completely different from the years I worked for them.

Especially in Utah it's very common for people to have someone in their life that professes to be some sort of professional photographer. I don't mean to criticize anyone trying to follow their passion, but there needs to be a line drawn when using the term "professional photographer". Owning a nice camera and taking decent pictures doesn't make someone a professional. I am proud to say that I have invested endless amounts of time, energy, as well as money into training and gaining an education as a photographer!

The FotoFly Academy is a program set up for those who want to build a business as a professional photographer. From July - November of this year I was enrolled in the program myself. The classes were incredibly small which allowed for a lot of one-on-one mentoring. Each week we would be taught different photography techniques and then the school would provide models during the rest of the school days for us to practice the techniques. The Academy was more than just bookwork and lectures. It was a hands-on, intense learning that built my skills and profile at the same time!

I was taught how to handle a camera and the settings, how to interact with people and gain their trust, how to capture genuine emotion, and how to use certain programs to edit the pictures. I was also taught the business side of being a professional photographer -- taxes, obtaining a license, advertising, etc.

We were taught everything from how how to pose a day old newborn to handling a full wedding load. It was incredible to be able to meet so many people through the program. There was one particular mom I took newborn pictures for that sent the most touching email response back. "I can't thank you enough for the AMAZING pictures. Seriously - I'm crying they're so beautiful. They just made my day." She sent this while I was pretty early in the program and it fueled so much of my love for what I was learning. I knew I was making the right choice in pursuing a career in photography.

I graduated November with my official photography certification. Since then I have gained my business license and have continued to chase my dream! I try to continue learning in any way I can. I watch photoshop tutorials to learn new techniques, practice shooting with my friends and family, and attending photography workshops.