When a passion merges into a business
Our interview with photographer Michael Gregory
Having been on a short summer hiatus from posting interviews (as we’re working on lots of cool projects). We’ve brought you a great interview with Michael.
Mike is a freelance photographer that’s involved in marketing and advertising on the day to day. His photography has inspired us on a number of occasions and his active Instagram stories are a great watch. You can find a link to his website here. All photos shown are his.
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People love gear lets start them off by telling hem what you shoot with? We know you’re a big fan of iPhone photography but even so!
When I am not shooting with my iPhone, I am mainly shoot with a Canon 5D Mark iii camera with a 35mm 1.4f lens!
Some of Mike’s iPhone shots from Yosemite are shown below.
What’s your story, how did you get involved in photography, was it a formal education at all?
I’ve somewhat grown up around cameras all my life. My father was a hobby photographer so he had film cameras he would use as I was growing up. I would watch him take photos and naturally find myself copying him with little disposable cameras that my mom would get me. It was always such an exciting day to get our film exposures back from being developed. Even at a young age I loved staring at photos we would capture.
Then, I remember the first time my dad got a digital camera when I was about 10-years-old. I always loved moments when he would let me play around with it. Through the years that point-and-shoot digital camera was always nearby and in use.
By my 19th birthday, my parents purchased me my own digital camera. It was a Canon 60D and I loved that thing. It went on so many adventures with me (and even fell into a river in Honduras and still lived!). However, even though I’ve always been taking photos all my life, and never took any classes on the subject, I would say that I finally got heavily involved in photography around the year 2013.
From then on it has been an intentional journey continuing to learn photography and to challenge myself to push deeper into my passion and extend my creativity.
Then it turned into a business – which is amazing! It’s always so incredible when a passion merges into business allowing you to make money while being fulfilled by what you love to do! Anyway, I’m babbling on . . . but that is how I got involved in photography.
What does a typical day for you consist of?
Well, currently I am a part-time freelance photographer and a nearly full-time media specialist a local Marketing, Advertising & Media company in the Central Valley of California.
So typically, my day consists of going to work in my jeans and vans and hanging out on social media (seeing the trends, the news, and entertainment happening around). I then manage and post on multiple social media accounts on behalf of the many clients we have.
It’s definitely a ton of fun and I cannot believe I get paid to hang out on social media.
However, photography is also apart of that. I will oftentimes have shoots planned that I need to run around and do ranging from event coverage to taking photos on an airport tarmac to creating content for travel guides & visitor’s guides! It certainly keeps me busy!
When it comes to Freelance, it’s just as busy! I oftentimes work with many different brands ranging from clothing companies, to camping companies, to travel services taking photos of these products/services and sharing them to social media.
It’s really awesome to be able to do this work, too, and to be paid for taking photos in this way!
We love your landscape photos, where are the spots you’ve enjoyed visiting and photographing the most?
Oh, yes! I love taking landscape photos so, so much! If you scroll through my Instagram feed, it’s easy to see that I frequently visit Yosemite National Park. People travel across the world to come see Yosemite, but I’m lucky enough to only be about an hour and a half to 2 hours away! Because of this, I try to go to Yosemite as much as I can!
One of my most favorite spots to hang out at in Yosemite is Taft Point. Its a spot in the park that not many people go to visit (which I love – so I probably shouldn’t be sharing this with everyone); however, I honestly think people should visit! At this location you are perched atop the granite walls looking downward into the Yosemite Valley which is over a 3,000 ft drop off the cliffside. The sunsets at this location are phenomenal and the quiet and untouched vibe you get there reminds you of why it’s important to get outside and to adventure in nature. Really, it’s my favorite place ever.
See a picture from Taft point below!
Where’s next for you? Any new projects or stuff coming up to tell us about?
I would really love to continue to dive deeper into Freelance photography! And not only that, but lately my next challenge for myself has been stretching my photography muscles and entering into the world of lifestyle photography. I’ve always been a landscape photographer; however, I’ve been so greatly inspired by lifestyle photographers and the emotions that are conveyed through lifestyle moments are so different than those you feel with landscape photography – but a good different. It’s like a whole new definition of magical type of different. So, I think that’s what is next for me. Trying to break into lifestyle – aiming to challenge, change, and push my perspectives to see things from a new angle rather than landscape.
