I shot on auto. My models were rats. And I was convinced I was a genius.
If your dream feels miles away, or you’re only just starting out, I want you to know one thing: I’ve been there too. And so these aren’t just empty words, I’m going to show you. Photos included. Some of which make me want to crawl under a rock.
Every beginning is uncertain. You just have to keep going.
The early days: when loving it was enough
I bought my first camera at eighteen, with money saved from summer jobs. It was a Canon EOS 1200D. Over time I added a 50mm and a 100mm to the kit lens. Today I’d call it a toy. Back then, it was my whole universe.
Manual mode? Watching out for harsh light and shadows? Composition? None of it crossed my mind. I shot on auto and I was perfectly happy.
I photographed nature and everything around me. And since I had pet rats at the time, they ended up doing most of the posing. My very first models. They just didn’t know it.
I smile at those photos now. But the excitement was real, pure and genuine. And that’s exactly what kept pulling me forward.
I was convinced I was taking the best photos in the world. Looking back, I can’t help but smile, but back then, the excitement was genuine and absolutely unfiltered.
Nabu: my first canine model (not entirely a willing one)
In 2015, Nabu came into our lives. And I very quickly realised that photographing a dog called for something better. So I got myself a semi-professional DSLR, the Canon EOS 80D, which stayed by my side until 2021.
Bit by bit, photographing just my own dog stopped being enough. I started putting my dog friends from the neighbourhood in front of the lens. Here’s a selection of my favourite shots from that time. Shared with pride. And a little shame :D.
Then came the “I’ve discovered editing” phase. Changing the background colour? Sure, why not. I was seriously proud of this one too:
Jada: a born supermodel, and the moment it got serious
n 2017, Jada arrived and everything changed. A born supermodel. For the first time, I felt I wasn’t forcing my dog into a shoot. She enjoyed it just as much as I did. (Sorry, Nabu.)
If I had to pinpoint when my photography journey truly began, it would be here.
I threw myself into it. I started following people who photographed dogs, studying their work and wondering how I could create something similar. And the first paid shoots came along.
In 2018, I did my first one-to-one course with another dog photographer. Around the same time I bought the Sigma ART 85mm, which quite literally opened up a new dimension for me, followed shortly by the Sigma ART 35mm.
And so began the search for my own editing style. I’ll be honest with you: it was neither easy nor quick.
Quitting my job, a pandemic, and a style that finally clicked
At the end of 2019, I handed in my notice. In 2020, I officially launched my business. Literally one week before the pandemic hit. Impeccable timing, right? 😀
But maybe I owe Covid a small thank you. The world slowed down, and suddenly I had time to try things, experiment, mess up and try again. And in 2021, it finally happened: I found my style.
That same year, I switched to the Canon EOS R5 mirrorless and invested in the Sigma ART 135mm. And I won Pet Photographer of the Year. So yes, sometimes it really does click.
A journey that never ends
The photography journey is winding and full of pitfalls. And above all, it never ends. There’s always something new to learn, a technique to improve, or an editing process to tear down and rebuild from scratch.
So if you’re just starting out, or you feel like you’re going round in circles: don’t give up. Your moment will come. One day you’ll wake up and it will all just click.
Trust me. I used to photograph rats on auto :).
Finally: where I started and where I am today
My very first paid shoot vs. one of my most recent:
If you’d like your journey to be a little shorter than mine, you don’t have to do it alone. Take a look at my online courses, or join my community The Pack, where we learn, share and grow together.