CamKix invited Huzaifa Ginwala, an Instagram photographer, to share his experiences as an Instagram photographer.
Hi! I’m Huzaifa, a 20-year old photographer based in India with a penchant for cameras and computers. I also love playing with light when taking photos. You’ll see that on my Instagram page: @huzaifa.ginwala.
I became interested in photography four years ago, when I got my first smartphone. It wasn’t anything crazy, just a 5-megapixel camera smartphone lens. I was the kind of guy who would take pictures of anything and everything. I would just go on shooting and at the end of the day expect to have at least one good picture.
Then I discovered Instagram. I was awestruck by the insanely creative and talented people on it. I would spend hours looking at feature photos on Instagram’s account and click on each featured photographer’s account to see the photos on their feed. It was a very good exercise, and I still do it a lot up to now.
The main difference back then was, most of the featured photographers had high end DSLR cameras and lenses. It seemed that the only way to take a good picture was to have expensive equipment. I was disheartened and ended up taking a break from photography for almost 6 months.
After a while, I got a new phone which had a much better camera and I decided to give photography another shot. I also bought a smartphone camera lens kit with a macro and a wide angle attachment to bolster my reignited passion for photography. It was probably the best decision I ever made.
I got back into photography and learned about how lighting and composition matter more than the actual camera you have. I used my phone for photography from that point on. I did later on buy a DSLR camera, but I still use my phone for quite a few pictures. I got back into Instagram and used it to feature the different photos I took, not just of food. It took a bit of time, but I started getting my work out there and getting recognized. 30K followers later, here I am! Still doing what I love and other things (such as guest blogging for CamKix).
If you’re a budding Instagram photographer, there are a few things you should know. I’m no professional and I don’t have the credibility to tell you what you should or should or should not do, but there are some things I wish I knew when I first started my journey:
It’s not about the camera.
Almost every photographer has said this before, but it needs to be said again. We’re so far ahead from the time wherein photography was only for the people who have an SLR camera. If you have a smartphone that was made in the last 2-3 years, you’re good to go!
It’s not about the numbers.
It’s not about how many followers you have or how many likes you get. It’s about how happy you are with the photo. Sure, numbers do count, but they shouldn’t be the highest priority in your list.
It is about lighting and composition.
If you have to pick a single point that makes a difference between a good and bad picture, it is lighting. Think about what you want to show in a picture before you take it.
It is about exploring.
Don’t stick to just one type of picture. Try everything before you decide what is your favourite style. It’ll take time, but it’s well worth it.
To celebrate the milestone of reaching 30K followers on Instagram, I’ve teamed up with CamKix and they’re giving away a CamKix smartphone photography kit with flexible tripod for free to help you jumpstart your mobile photography. Check out the details here.