We caught up with Photography Academy of Ireland graduate, Emilia Raczynska, to find out why she chose to study photography and how the course has benefitted her.
Having worked as an accountant, Emilia knew that working with numbers wasn’t really for her. “I was always more creative. I wanted to do something where I can give something of myself. I always had a passion for photography,” she says. “When I started the course I wasn't sure if it will be my hobby or for a living. But after the first lesson, I was so excited.”
Getting started
Before the course Emilia had been using her camera on manual all the time. The course, she says, not only changed how she uses her camera but how she views photography as a whole, something she wasn’t expecting. “I noticed how many areas there are in photography and it was so interesting for me. I wanted to know more and more. Photography, it’s everywhere - in magazines, on billboards, on Instagram, Facebook. It’s in our life.”
In particular, she was intrigued to learn about the psychology side of photography and the effect it can have on people.
Turning a dream into a reality
An opportunity at her workplace gave Emilia the chance to put her photography skills into practice. “My bosses had an online shop and they knew I was doing the photography course. They asked me to do a fashion shoot.”
Emilia was quick to bring her new skills and knowledge to the shoot. “They have a studio but I knew from the course how to improve the lights, how to improve the photos on the website.” Emilia was delighted with the outcome and says the photos she took for the website were completely different to the ones they had previously been using.
Inspired by her first experience as a fashion photographer, Emilia’s aim is to make photography her career and plans to experiment with creative photography and landscape photography. “After the course, I noticed where you can go with photography. It’s not like a job - it’s my passion.”
Inspired by Emilia’s story and looking to pursue your interest in photography? View our full list of courses here.