This week we spoke to our photographer/videographer Conor about his biggest passions in life, which he is forging a promising career from. We have always been massive fans of the work Conor does and were delighted to get him on board, to help us build our image, through his exceptional camerawork and creative eye.
During the interview, we asked Conor all about where his passion for this craft came from and who his biggest influences are. We also asked about his experience as a freelancer and the difficulties he faces, as well as his goals and aspirations for the future.
Where does your passion for Photography/Videography come from?:
For Conor, videography came first. Making short skits on YouTube as a 14-year-old, and watching content creators such as Jacob Owens and Peter McKinnon is where the whole journey began. Watching these artists create breath-taking images and videos in a matter of minutes really appealed to Conor (something we would highly recommend people look into). It certainly wasn’t a vocation at the time, but it was something that he thoroughly enjoyed doing and saw the potential in a future career, following this path.
After finishing school, Conor took his first steps into the unknown and started a course in Multimedia at Blanchardstown IT. He had just saved up enough money for a new camera, working in a “soul-destroying, part-time job”, and had established, from a relatively early stage, that he did not want to work in Sports Direct for the rest of his life.
In college and in his spare-time, Conor began to hone his skills and began freelancing as a way to break into the competitive industry as a content creator. His passion for photography grew alongside his ambition to succeed, and it became an “obsession” for the then 18 year old. “I just really started to enjoy taking pictures and creating content that I would find fun to edit, once I got back home”.
Biggest Influences:
While Conors early influences were content creators on YouTube, he has since broadened his horizons and views the media industry from a much wider perspective. “I’ve actually started writing a lot more and looking into film and directors in much more detail. I’ve been looking into the likes of Michael Caine as an actor and (Quentin) Tarantino as a director. Some of the biggest names in the industry to see what I can learn and what I can bring to my own work.” As the old saying goes ‘you
learn from the best’ and you can be sure that studying the work of such illustrious figures, can only have a positive impact on Conors ‘Creations’ (intentional pun for you there folks).
Freelancing:
There’s no denying that there are a massive amount of perks to being a freelancer. It allows you to pursue a line of work that you are truly passionate about and to invest your time in projects that you find truly fulfilling. It also allows you the freedom and independence to work for who you want and when you want.
On the other hand, there certainly are some difficulties and pressures that come with this line of work. “Managing lots of clients and meeting certain deadlines can be quite stressful at times. It’s also difficult to switch off sometimes, because you’re just constantly thinking of different ideas and things to work on.”
While the independence of this career path has been highlighted as primarily positive, it can also be a lonely role at times. “When you don’t have someone to bounce different ideas off, it can be a real problem. It’s important to stay objective with your work and to keep the clients best interests at the heart of it all. Pricing yourself at the beginning is also very difficult, as you don’t know how to put a value on your work. But again, this is something you become more comfortable with over time and with experience”.
Future Aspirations:
“I definitely want to look into film a bit more. Like I said, I’m enjoying writing at the moment and working on promotional videos and short films with clients. Who knows where it might lead me, but it’s definitely an exciting craft to be looking into and learning more about.
For ‘Conors Creations’, I suppose the long-term goal would be to build up maybe 3 consistent clients that I could work with on a much bigger level. It would be really cool to work as a videographer or content creator for some massive companies, and it would definitely bring some more stability into my career.”
Conor’s Advice:
Above all, Conor feels the most important part of any craft is to “put the time in and stay dedicated”. He outlined how we live in an era where people are totally absorbed by the idea of instant gratification. The most important thing is to stay dedicated to learning all about your craft. “It’s like learning the guitar. It takes time and you’re definitely not going to master it in one night. You’ve got to put the time in and if it’s something you are actually passionate about, then that won’t be too hard.”
Quick-Fire Questions:
· Current book your reading – Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
· Last thing you watched on Netflix – A Beautiful Mind
· Death Row Meal – Boojum
· Chinese or Pizza – Pizza (100%)
· Cats or Dogs – Dogs
· Childhood Hero – Spiderman
· Favourite Sport – Football
· If it wasn’t for your current job, what would you be doing? – Retail or in college, studying something I hate!
· Celebrity Crush – Miley Cyrus
· Dream Holiday Destination - Canada
· Quiet Night In or Wild Night Out? – WILD NIGHT OUT
We have massive admiration for everything Conor has done so far, in his relatively short career as a freelancer. He has turned his passion into his career and has built an extensive list of clients, who he has done some extremely impressive work for. We look forward to many more shoots with him for Ville Apparel and we would actively encourage you to go check him out on Instagram!
@conorscreations
Our tips:
· If you have a passion for something, take those first baby steps into the unknown! It is a daunting prospect, but you never know where it might lead you!
· Leave a pen and paper by your bed at night so you can write down any ideas that come to mind. Everyone knows that the best ideas come when you’re lying in bed at night!
· Follow @conorscreations on Instagram. This man is seriously talented so go check out everything he has to offer!
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