Then & Now: Stephanie Rogers

Stephanie Rogers began shooting weddings in 2010 shortly after her own wedding. Falling in love with the creative and story-telling aspects of wedding photography, Stephanie began bringing her own unique style to other couples weddings and she hasn't looked back since. Based out of Texas, Stephanie has really up'ed her game since she first picked up a camera back in 2010.

Then

How did you learn photography?

My primary growth in learning photography was through a lot of trial and error. When I first started in 2010, I created a little ad on Craigslist and started to book a couple sessions and weddings. Through that, I started to realize the areas I needed to improve in. Over the years I've crafted my style, editing, and perspective in so many ways. I am very happy with where I am now, even though I am always finding new ways to hone my skill.

Now

What year were the Then pictures taken in?

2010, just shortly after our own wedding in July.

Then

What did you do to better your photography skills?

I worked in retail so I would ask those that I worked with if they would be willing to be photographed as I was trying to improve and learn new things. I would also bring my camera with me whenever I went to visit friends for family so that I could experiment with people I was already comfortable with. The internet was another great source of inspiration; I studied blogs and joined forums to learn new techniques or poses. The more I went out and photographed the more comfortable I was with working with lighting and knowing what works and what doesn't. I never want to become stagnant, so trying new things out always allows for growth and the bettering of my skills.

Now

What is one piece of advise you would give to a new photographer to help them excel in their craft?

Keep shooting, stop getting jealous of everyone around you, and shoot for yourself. You don't get better by sitting on your butt. You won't get better by being sad that your work isn't as great as those you admire. No one gets fantastic over night. Also, the day I stopped shooting to either gain acceptance from other photographers, or show that I could be like them, was the day our business took the turn I had been waiting for it to take. You are a photographer which makes you an artist. Create for you and in return you will get those clients who appreciate your work and want you to photograph them.  So practice, practice, practice. :)

Then

Check out more amazing images from Stephanie below.

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Then & Now: Don + Helen

Don and Helen Bringas are amazing wedding photographers based in the Canary Islands. Don, from the Philippines, and Helen from Mexico, started their love for wedding photography shortly after their own wedding. Their unique eye for the emotion and love that couples have for each other, really stands true throughout all of their work. Don and Helen are also the creators of the Don and Helen Presets, which were recently released in conjunction with them and LOOKSLIKEFILM. Check out the presets at Tribe Archipelago.

Keep reading below to see how Don and Helen progressed to be the amazing photographers they are today. 

Then

HOW DID YOU LEARN PHOTOGRAPHY?

Helen and I learned it by our own trial and error; by following other amazing photogs, by experience and experimenting, by being our own worst critic and receiving critics from colleagues, and by enjoying every click of the way.

Now

WHAT YEAR WAS THE THEN PICTURE TAKEN IN?

The then picture was taken 2 years ago. It is a bit embarrassing to show to other people how mediocre our style was, but at the same time we feel proud of how we manage to grow technically and emotionally in wedding photography.

Then

WHAT DID YOU DO TO BETTER YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS?

HATE wedding photography! When we first started we did not have any clear idea of what we were doing. To better your craft, you have to hate cliches, think out of the box, out of your comfort zone. We love images with movement, light, emotions, and nice composition, but when everything fails, we concentrate on emotions! We learned that style is not what you choose, but it is what your clients give to you.

Now

WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO A NEW PHOTOGRAPHER TO HELP THEM EXCEL IN THEIR CRAFT?

Be humble. Always accept helpful critic (whether they came from another photographer or not.) Always remember how you started in photography and always rub in your face those mediocre images that you made! Don't let ego over shadow the good person behind that lens. You might be the best photographer of your niche, but there will always be better than you. Do not stop learning and always bring in your camera bag a positive outlook!

CHECK OUT SOME MORE CURRENT IMAGES FROM DON + HELEN BELOW.

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Then & Now: Liam Rimmington

Then

HOW DID YOU LEARN PHOTOGRAPHY?

I am a self taught photographer. I first picked up a camera back in April 2012. Back then, I had recently started a new job and had been put on the wrong tax code, so after correcting it, I was sent a nice refund. I decided to buy a DSLR from a local shop, put it in manual mode, hopped onto the bus to my local botanical gardens, and started taking photos of flowers and trees.

Now

WHAT YEAR WAS YOUR THEN PHOTO TAKEN IN?

My then photo was taken in June 2014. I was out shooting nature with a friend when I decided to take some photos of her. I'd never shot portraits before so I didn't know how to position or direct subjects, or even how to use natural light in a flattering way, but I instantly fell in love with the experience and the fresh challenges is posed.

Then

WHAT DID YOU DO TO BETTER YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS?

I watched a lot of video tutorials and trolled Instagram and Facebook for images. I would then analyzed them to discover what worked well, the lighting, composition, colors, etc. I also found sites like Flickr really useful because I could see the EXIF data which helped me understand how an image had been captured technically. I then applied all that knowledge to the way I shot and edited my next shoot.

Now

WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO A NEW PHOTOGRAPHER TO HELP THEM EXCEL IN THEIR CRAFT?

My best advice would be to seek out as much specific feedback as you can from people you respect and whose work you admire. Apply that feedback to your next shoot and then ask for more feedback. It's easy for us to get offended by criticism, seeing it as a bad thing, but if you think of it as an opportunity to develop, you will propel yourself forward at a much greater rate.

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