Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Felix.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Tim. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Back when I was in college a few years ago at Bridgewater State University, I had a strong desire to work in the Journalism field, specifically sports writing. During a meeting with my Journalism professor, I was curious of what skills/goals I should complete or acquire for my resume in order move up in the Journalism field. Discussing the different skills, my professor mentioned the one attribute Journalism companies love on a resume is individuals who have worked with cameras. At this time, I had never worked with cameras and never had thought of taking any photography or video courses while in school. However, if taking a photography/video class was going to boost my resume and help improve my chances of working in the Journalism field, then I wanted to get those skills.
During my senior year, I took Introduction to Production Studio course. The course contained one major project, which was to make around a five minute trailer on something we love or interests us. We spent one class being exposed to cameras and for those who had never worked on them like myself, it was the chance for us to get the idea of how to turn on/off a camera and know some basics. For my trailer, I focused on my love for Boston.
Since I did not own a camera, I had to rent out one from the Communications Dept. anytime I was going out shooting. With the amount of times I was renting out a camera, I should have just bought one since I was using it like crazy. It became a daily routine of taking the train to the city after I finished classes. Though I had the task in hand to complete the project, I never really focused on it but instead took pictures most of the time. I would walk around the city taking pictures for hours and forget about recording. Hard to describe the exact feeling, but I felt each time I took a shot on my camera, my attachment to the city grew. My camera was a guide toward witnessing the greatest things of Boston, some in which people may not be able to see. Though my trailer ended up being subpar, the biggest thing at the end of the day was that the class opened up the gates toward me wanting to buy a camera.
Once I finished up school, I still made it a daily routine to go explore the city, but I would use my iPhone as my camera source to take pictures. I badly wanted a camera, but I was not in the position to buy one. Luckily as a birthday gift a few years ago, my family got me a Canon camera and it has since been by my side. I have explored different places of New England and always tried to find time to go out with my camera. If I could learn so much about the city of Boston, I wondered what else my camera would teach me about the other places I explore. Once I was getting so much practice shooting landscapes, I was approached by one of my friends to do a photoshoot in the snow, in which I had no experience in shooting portraits. We shot together and I fell in love with our shoot. While still going out shooting landscapes and doing more portrait projects, I was approached about shooting my first wedding, which became a turning point for how I seriously I took photography in my life. It was that moment where I felt I was good at something and that I could pursue photography at a higher level.
As of today, I mainly shoot landscapes, portraits and do a lot of street photography. For those who do not know, its candid photography that captures a moment unexpectedly. Its beautiful photography, but it’s a challenge due to some people not liking their photo being taken, which I can definitely understand. In some cases with street photography, I have been able to learn about people’s backgrounds and challenges just from my camera. You step into others people’s shoes and see that though they may have bigger issues on their plate, they’re still optimistic. In some instances, I have been able to get shots of people enjoying their life, which the way life should be. I have met many great people through my camera that the more I get out there, the less shy I am and less I think of the challenges I face.
My curiosity of the world around me grows stronger each day and though I’m not sure where my photography will lead me, I always want it to be my side no matter what.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Doing photography has been a bumpy road, but in ways it’s good that it’s been bumpy with the different challenges and struggles I have had to face.
Going into this field unexpectedly, I was blindsided of how expensive the photography world is. Buying new lenses, replacing tripods, camera parts and getting daily sensor cleaning, it all adds up. You really have to separate wants and needs with this field and it’s been a challenge. I would love to upgrade my camera, but I have to be realistic financially. I know soon that once I continue to grow, the things I would want I will eventually have.
One other challenge I have faced, but all photographers face is how to be creative and stand out. Photographers all over the world have taken photos of Acorn Street in Beacon Hill, which is argued as to be the most photographed street in America. Have to ask yourself, how can I make my shot of Acorn Street different from the rest? With shots I take and projects I try to think of, I try to be different if I can. Even with models I work with independently or at Portrait Meets I attend to, I always try to put a different spin on my shots if possible. I like to work on creative projects that involve issues with our society and feel photography is a strong resource to present these issues.
The biggest challenge I have faced with photography is being confident in myself. Throughout my entire life, I have been shy and a timid person. Having a minor stutter as well, it has been a major contribution in hurting my confidence level of how I feel about myself and being around others. I never felt I was good at anything and just felt different than most. Being a photographer though, it has shown me that to gain the most out of this field, you have to be curious and always have the willingness to learn. In order to learn though, being confident is the biggest factor. I want to learn about the world around me and the people surrounding it. To achieve that and grow, I have to be confident in myself and in the work I present. Building my confidence will always be a work in progress, but I know that by continuing learning with my camera on me, my shell will continue to break. Furthermore, I know I will never be satisfied and feel there is no finish line from how much I can learn in the photography world and what’s out there in the world.
Please tell us about Timothy Blake Felix Photography.
As of right now, I am still in the stage of exposure. I’m not sure if I can call what I do with my photography a business yet, but also not sure how far I want to take my photography. The difficult part is defining how far to take exposure, but I still feel I have a lot to improve on before drawing a line. It’s been a slow process, but the amount of clients I have worked with has increased and I have been able to network with other photographers on different projects, which is important to me at this current stage than making money.
Most of the projects I have worked with clients on have been model photoshoots. In this case, I feel I separate myself from others in ways of treating photoshoots as a teamwork project than basing it just on myself or vision. For some photographers I feel, it has to go by only their vision, venue, outfit and more. For clients I work with, it’s a plan that will work for both sides. Whether it be a project I want to do or approached about a project from a client, I take in as much input as possible from the client. From shooting to the editing process, I like to include visions from both sides and not just myself. It’s crucial though for me to have clients I work with to not only be comfortable with themselves but also want to express themselves best way possible.
Contact Info:
- Email: Timbfelix@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timothy_blake_felix/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tim.felix.90
Image Credit:
Passing Train: (Model: Alexandria Sheehan)
Assembly Row: (Model: Laura Bohorquez)
Under the Bridge: (Model: Lacey Battles)
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