www.traettophotography.com

What does a typical Thursday look like for you, starting from when you wake up – to heading to bed?

It’s really hard to say what a typical day is like for me as everyday is different. Usually during the week I am either recovering from working the weekend or editing. The majority of my (on location shooting) work is on the weekends so I usually try to rest up as well as do all the pre and post production work during the week. I wake up around 8am… okay, I lie, 9am, check my emails (and my celeb gossip sites) get dressed and then it ranges from designing wedding albums, editing images, meeting with clients or cleaning the house (and all that boring stuff). I also do a lot of Real Estate photography which most of the time is during the week so on those days I would go to the location and spend a few hours photographing, and then edit them right away and create a website for the property for the realtor. I am always on the go with my other business, Sensational Weddings which helps brides and vendors connect, with this company we host Bridal Shows and hold mini events, so we are constantly meeting lots of new people in the industry!

What was your first job out of school?

I started freelancing for a magazine back home in the UK, photographing the nightlife scene in the city I lived in, which was tons of fun as I could always get my friends into great clubs and events for free. It also helped me gain confidence in walking up to people and asking to take their picture as well as helped me build my portfolio in print.

What are the 3 skills you require most to do your job well?

Patience is key. Sometimes dealing with large crowds, Bridezillas, and people who think they can do your job (Uncle Bob and his point and shoot camera) can be quite frustrating. You just have to stay calm and be confident in your own work. Editing can also be quite time consuming and repetitive.

A good eye is the key to being a good photographer. You can be taught what F.Stop, ISO and aperture are but the creative aspect is not something you can learn in a classroom or under the teaching of another photographer. It is something you just have, and no amount of training can provide that.

You also need to know all the tech stuff. This ranges from knowing how to operate the camera itself to knowing what lenses are best for what situation or type of shoot, as well as being very familiar with editing programs. Seems obvious, but quite a few photographers out there don’t and it can result in shoddy work. The technology changes constantly which keeps you on your toes, you finally get the hang of Photoshop and then they bring out a new version with lots more to learn. You have to be adaptable.

What do you love most about your career?

I am my own boss, I can make my own hours, and go on vacation whenever I want! I am also able to be creative and can photograph what I want. This is very important to me as I love to travel and I would get extremely bored if I had to do the same thing over and over again day in day out.

Do you have any warnings?

To have your own photography business you really need to be very driven, be willing to invest time and money. A lot of people think to be a photographer all you need is a camera, which is untrue. You need cameras, lenses, memory, back up equipment, lights, flashes, light meters, editing programs and much more.

If you could try a different career on for a year, what would it be?

I would be a helicopter pilot taking people on tours over the Rocky Mountains!