Yesterday I had plans to go to the beach and enjoy the LA sun…….but I got super sick. I woke up with a headache, sinus congestion and a terrible cough. I pretty much stayed in my Airbnb and worked on my website and editing. This post will not reflect my day, but rather an insight on how I practice my photography.

In 2014 I graduated college, lived in New York City, and started to take photography serious. At the time, I didn’t feel comfortable taking pictures of others, so I would practice by taking pictures of the things I saw around me. Doing this everyday taught me how to control my camera in various setting and create stories through candid shots. Now, I work on creating consist images with intentional color palettes. For instance, the picture above is a random building in Downtown Los Angeles. I took this photo around 8 am so It was a gloomy and cool morning. I immediately knew I wanted to create a photo that accentuate the features of the sky and building so the image can look moody. Below are more photos that I took while I was in LA. The first two images have consistent color palettes as the building and the last three have more of a earth tone. Every image was intentional and I was fully aware of how I wanted the images to look in post production. As a photographer, it’s important to understand tones and create consistent intentional photos. Clients want someone they can rely on and they want to know exactly what they are paying for. If you are a photographer reading this post, the world is your oyster. You don’t need a model or a specific person to work on your craft. You just need your camera. Take the time to walk around your city and practice with intentionality. If any of you need help or want feedback, contact me at theoptimistdreamer@gmail.com. Don’t forget to drop a comment below.