Hello! Here I want to tell a little bit about me as a photographer.
My name is Mikhail Sosin. I am a photographer.
My photography specialization
Mostly – it is school photography, but not only…
My relation to photography
Photography is my passion, my love, my lifestyle, my wages. Photography is my everything. Since 2008 there is no day in my life without production photos, postproduction photos or thoughts about photos.
My photographer’s biography
My photographer’s bio is pretty ordinary for photographers.
In 1982 (at 4 years old) I crashed my father’s film SLR camera “Zenit” and have been punished for it. This was a start of my way as a photographer. :)))
In 1985 I got my first own film mini camera “Smena-8M”. During junior school I studied at some photography cources for juniors.
In 1993 I got my own SLR “Zenit” camera, and in 1995 I got german SLR “Praktica” as a present for school graduading.
In 1997 I shoot my first wedding (for my friends). After that I sold my “Praktica” and bought my first SLR “Nikon FM”. I felt in love with this camera and it’s shutter sound. :))) Since that time I am a “Nikon” shooter.
In 2006 I bought my first digital SLR “Nikon”. This became for me the end of era of film photography, dark room with a red light, developers, fixers, and magic of creating photos by chemical method.
By 2008 photography took all my free time. I started an active process of self-education and permanent practice with studio artifical and natural light shooting conditions.
By 2009 my photography level increased up to offers to shoot for money. Being self-critical and not very short of money I declined such offers for some time. But some time later I decided to check possible income from my hobby. So I became a commercial photographer. I continued to combine my main job and a weekend photographer job. I could allow myself to spend all income from photography for my gear upgrade and education.
In 2013 the incomes form 2 jobs became almost similar. My intention to grow up as a photographer was very strong. But time spending for my main job did not allow me to grow up. :)))
So, since 2013 photography is my only profession and beloved job.
Starting 2015 school photography takes 90% of my work.
Starting 2020 I work for Brookes Moscow private school in addition to municipal schools in Moscow.
Why school photography?
I got into school photography by occasion only. One of my previous wedding clients several years ago asked me to make photo session for their kid in school. I had no experience in school photography until that moment by agreed for this shooting. I used all my wedding photography experience for that school photo session. The result surprised and pleased my clients. I was recommended to many more other potential clients. In a short time I got a lot of orders for school photography and yearbooks production. I had to create an additional web site dedicated to school photography. https://school.sosinphoto.com
I’m very interested in school photography. I can see and photograph school life which is invisible for students’ parents. My mission is to make memories about school life by live reportage photography.
Why not wedding photography?
Inspite of many opinions, wedding photography is not easiest way to earn money. Until 2015 I liked exactly wedding photography. Why? Because for me it is most difficult area of photography. :))) Wedding photography combines different genres and requires maximum skills from a photographer: photojournalistic skills, posing skills, portraits photography skills, sport photography skills, interior photography skills, subject and food photography skills, kids and animals photography skills, landscape photography skills, artificial and natural lighting skills, etc.
And all of these skills must be used in the conditions of wedding day bustle, limited time, weather conditions, etc…
And just shooting is not enough – the soul must be put into the work… I must put myself in the place of bride / groom / parents. I must understand their feelings. I must feel their feelings…
I still like wedding photography but I don’t rush to search wedding clients and promote my wedding photography. Several weddings in a year is enough for me.
As of now my wedding clients come to me by recommendations from previous clients. I’m very busy with school photography from September till end of June so I want to have some rest in July-August but not to shoot several wedding per week.