We are so excited to introduce you to this week's pictureline featured photographer, INDIA EARL. India has been an inspiration to many young photographers over the past few years. She is young, talented, and an incredibly hard-worker! We love when we get to chat with India in the store and see what she is up to. Her and her husband run their business together, and India does the photography and Jay does the videography! We thought you might be interested in what's in their camera bags, so we did a quick Q&A to get some more information on these two talented, young photographers!
What camera do you shoot with?
"I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark IV, and my husband Jay shoots video with a Sony A7S II!"
India's husband Jay, owns Patch Wedding Films and does beautifully creative wedding films. Watch one of his videos at the bottom of this post!
What are your top three go-to lenses and why?
"For both me and Jay, its the Canon 35mm 1.4, Canon 50mm 1.2, and Sigma 24mm 1.4. I love the range of them, because I like the distance it puts between me and the couple I'm working with. I'm not too close or too far. I hate using long lenses and having to yell out at couples for direction. I like to be able to be constantly talking to them while shooting."
- "I decided to drop out and do photography full-time because I knew in my gut that it was what I wanted to do."
What made you decide to become a photographer?
"I don't feel like I ever "decided". It just happened. It was kind of like falling asleep, you know it happened, but you don't remember when. I got a camera from my mom for Christmas when I was 14, and started off by doing self portrait projects and taking photos of friends, and that eventually turned into doing it as a full-time business. I was self-taught, and then when I got into college I tried studying photography but nothing was clicking. I can't learn by reading out of a book or watching someone else, I need to do it myself, make mistakes and learn from them hands on. I was actually told by my photography professor that I should look into majoring in graphic design instead, because he told me I wouldn't be able to make a living as a photographer since it wasn't my "strength". Right after that happened, I decided to drop out and do photography full-time because I knew in my gut that it was what I wanted to do and that I could make it happen. I worked my a** off to get to where I am. I think people forget that when they look at successful photographers' work, that they didn't just wake up with success and talent.
Jay is just starting out in video, he just started this past November and its the best thing ever, because we never miss a moment together. We are always together, we get to travel the world with incredible people, and do pretty amazing things because of photography and videography."
You have such a unique and beautiful style, what advice do you have for fellow photographers on how to make your clients feel comfortable and form a bond with you?
"Let them be themselves! Don't force anything or tell them every little thing of what to do. Treat them like friends, not like clients. They'll open up and be themselves :)" India recently announced that she will be making a workshop on how to pose your couples, get them to loosen up, and get beautiful candid photos. So be sure to check her website for that coming soon!
https://vimeo.com/201955858
If you love India's style of work, then make sure to check out her presets that she sells on her website, https://www.indiaearl.com/. If you're interested in knowing more about her gear, and whether it would work for you, come talk to us at the store or give us a call we'd be happy to talk cameras and lenses with you.
See you here next Friday for pictureline's next featured photographer of the week!
P.S. India's beautiful camera bag can be found here!