We were lucky to catch up with Craig Peterman recently and have shared our conversation below.
Craig, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
I have always been optimistic and positive in life because I think you have to be, in order to be successful. There is always going to be doubt and negatively constantly surrounding you, so it’s important to keep a positive narrative in your head. Im a big believer in how your mental mindset affects your life and how you can make amazing things happen just simply by believing it will; which optimism plays a big role in.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Craig Peterman and I am a photographer, videographer, and visual storyteller. I have had many jobs throughout my life, but I found my career and passion behind the camera. My main points of expertise are weddings, corporate events, music videos, engagement photos, family photos, grad photos, and commercial ads. It has been such a honor and pleasure to capture some of the most amazing special moments for people and get the opportunity make those moments last a lifetime with the ability to relive them forever. I love what I do and it’s been such an amazing 6 years so far, I’m truly excited for what lies ahead for me!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
First off, I would say preparation and organization is a huge factor in what I do and a very underrated quality for the photographer/videographer industry as a whole. The more prepared and organized I am, the more confident I feel, so it’s definitely something I emphasize.
Second, I feel like a great attitude is very important for a great shoot. I want my clients to know that I truly care and I’m just as excited as they are for the wedding, event, or shoot we are doing together. I want people to feel comfortable with me, which translates to all the images and video I capture.
Lastly, quality is probably my most important factor in my journey. I strive to make every last image and every second of my videos the absolute best quality you can get. In a world full of overstated content and social media, I think quality photos and videos are what makes you stand out from the crowd.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I think it’s better to be well rounded and invest in areas you need to improve upon. There is not many “hybrid shooters” (photographer and videographer combo) out there, so I believe that is one think that really sets me apart from my colleagues in this industry. The ability to learn and master my cameras to the fullest extent, by learning both photography and videography, has helped me grow exponentially in both formats. Plus its opened up my mind to more creative avenues for each format as well, that I may never have thought of if I did not become a hybrid shooter!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.petermanphotovideo.com
- Instagram: www.instragam.com/petermanphotoandvideo
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/petermmedia
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdIoGRiENX-wwHgZJr1AWtQ
- Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/petermanphotoandvideo
