Pro Photographer California
Professional Photographer D. Colegrove
Daniel Colegrove
Though best known for his headshot photography Daniel is an accomplished wedding photographer and has won awards for photojournalism, existing light portrait photography and illustrative photography.
How and when did you decide to become a Professional
Photographer ?
A: I never really decided anything, I was 16, I was surfing up and down the California coast from Ventura County Line in Malibu up to the Rincon north of Ventura in 1980. My Buddies all wanted to be in the surf rags at the time so I began photographing them and submitting the images. They sent me checks. Then I had people calling asking me if I would photograph this or that and it went on from there.
What kind of education did you have for this?
A: Ha.. Not much. I took a photojournalism class at Ventura College and I had acquaintances that were attending Brook's Institute in Santa Barbara. I used to sit in on their classes all the time. I took a course in evidence photography but mostly I'm self taught and continue to learn from other photographers. I also love to read, I even read boring technical photography and camera manuals.
What is your Favorite Subject to Photograph?
A: I photograph people. I like to do studio Headshots I like to shoot in existing light and I love to shoot weddings.
Wedding Photography is a kick, It truly takes all kinds of people to make the world turn, and they all come together at weddings.
What does it take to be a successful professional
photographer ?
A: Well it takes: Vision, skill, and a lot of hard work. Everyone sees the photographer shooting and it looks like fun. Rarely do they see the postproduction, hours of editing, cropping and the like. With the coming of the digital revolution in photography the bar got raised a little higher, the learning curve is steep.. really steep. It takes a higher level of photographic skill and technical knowledge to produce images, but man... the images are incredible. Never has photography been this amazing. The sky is the limit in what can be conveyed in an image.
I think the point is to press the image beyond its literal nature the art is already there, you just need to see it, the photographers eye, and capture it.
Article submitted by TOP PRO PHOTOGRAPHERS