I just tell them, “I capture memories.” It’s a giant cliche, and I know it. But it’s not wrong, either.

Olympus 40-150 f2.8 Pro. Not quite an all-purpose, but love the range and the character when you run it wide open.

• Your

Made a handshake agreement with a local brewery that also owns a couple food trucks and a restaurant. I have been friends with the owner for a few years, and we’re both former military, so clear and honest feedback is a given. Every month I had a shot list, and the default was “happy people eating and drinking.” Boy, did I deliver some screwed-up work in the beginning! Of course there were good, usable images in there too. But she took the time to point out why some images were not usable for her marketing needs.

A few examples:

• The dude sipping on a pint in the biergarten with a corporate beer coozie on his glass.
• The bubbles on the inside of the glass on some staged shots I did at home. (Look up ‘beer clean glassware’)
• The harsh shadows and inconsistent white balance on some of the food photos.

I learned a ton about lighting, mood setting, commercial food/drink photography, and finding willing volunteers to be ad-hoc models. We’re still working together, and I have more confidence that I can deliver images that meet her needs. I’ve learned other skills from other gigs, of course. But saying yes to her offer was one of the single best things that I can point to as improving my overall range of knowledge.