Today we’d like to introduce you to Leo Bader.
Leo, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I got started with photography through a friend that had been doing it for years. I started off using my parent’s camera. I would go to different places in Houston that I found from just seeing them during a walk or drive, or through looking around online. I experimented with different kinds of photography, like night, street, architecture, portrait, and long exposure photography. After about a month or so of doing this, I bought a photography course and a photo editing course on Udemy to learn more. Then, in December, I bought my own camera, a Nikon D3500. I started leaning towards portrait and street photography– taking a lot of pictures of my sister and friends, and photographing people’s everyday lives when I went on trips. I’ve experimented with product photography as well.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
For the most part, it has been. When I started, I found that it is a very saturated industry. I felt, and still feel that it is often hard to stand out and get people to remember your photos among the hundreds that they see every day. I found that many people don’t take the time to really look at a photograph and think about the thought that goes into it; I could put hours into setting up the perfect shot, only for someone to give it a secondhand glance on Instagram.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Leo Bader Photography – what should we know?
I specialize in portrait photography. I enjoy and am probably most known for taking pictures of people in everyday surroundings, like on the streets, at restaurants, in nature, etc. I’m most proud of the discipline that I have gained. I feel that I am motivated to keep up with photography so that I can keep showing my work to people and in turn, my skills benefit from that motivation. I think what sets me apart from others the most is that I started photography because I enjoy it. Money, recognition, etc.; those are all second thoughts to me. What I care about the most is that I keep on improving and that I keep feeling fulfilled through photography.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I want to give credit to Humza Hanif- the friend who got me started with photography. I also want to give credit to Simon Foster’s Affinity Photo course- he taught me just about everything I know about the program. I want to give credit to my friend Kyle Knightly- he gave me a lot of advice regarding recognition and exposure, and we grew together as artists. I also want to thank everyone who let me take pictures of them.
Pricing:
- $30 for a one hour portrait session completely edited, in as many locations as you would like
Contact Info:
- Phone: 7132658498
- Email: leobaderphoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leobaderphoto/
Image Credit:
Leo Bader, Kyle Knightly
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