With the rapid growth of technology and the rise of social media, it seems like there has never been a better time to become a photographer. Back in the day, it seemed like the only way to make money as a photographer was by shooting weddings (which is still a very lucrative way to make money with photography), but due to the internet, and platforms like Instagram, and Facebook, there has never been more opportunities out there for photographers.
Hotels need their accommodations photographed, fashion brands need their clothing displayed, travel agencies need their destinations showcased, and businesses need their products shown, and so much more.
On top of all these job opportunities, the access to becoming a photographer has also never been easier. Because just a few years ago if you wanted to get into the photography industry, you would have had to spend 10s of thousands of dollars on camera equipment, and hiring a crew to create professional-looking photos, but these days, thanks to affordable cameras, and smartphones, creating professional photos is easier than it’s ever been.
But with all this access and opportunities, why aren’t there enough photographers out there filling this massive demand for high-quality photography?
And, well because it’s not about the gear, it’s about learning how to effectively, and creatively use the gear that keeps aspiring photographers from actually taking professional-looking photos.
And that’s where Takumi Shyegun comes in.
Takumi is an Australian-born photographer currently based in Tokyo, Japan. For the past 5 years, Takumi has been traveling the world creating photography content for world-renowned brands such as Bose, Porsche, and D1 Milano. As well as working alongside some of the biggest athletes, and entertainers in Japan.
People like: Michael Leitch (Captain of Japan Rugby Team), and Kyoji Horiguchi (Rizin Champion).
But with all these impressive achievements it wasn’t always like this, because before photography, Takumi had worked the regular 9-5 in various industries like Hospitality, Personal Training, Events Management, I.T., and Sales, but Takumi voiced that “All the jobs I worked, just seemed like I was working just for the money, and I felt no fulfillment in my life”.
But in late 2015, Takumi met a photographer named Leo who was a guest at the hotel he was working at. And during Takumi’s night shift he saw Leo editing photos in the lobby area of the hotel. And after a brief conversation, Leo explained that he was in Sydney for a travel photography campaign and that he was pretty much getting paid to travel, and take cool photos of the city.
Takumi was so amazed that people were actually living this type of lifestyle. And he knew immediately that this is what he wanted to do. And even though he had no idea what steps he needed to take to make this a reality for himself, he dug into his very tight savings at the time, and made what he says is “the best investment he has ever made” by buying his first-ever camera.
For the next year, Takumi pursued his goal of mastering his photography through hours and hours of studying and practicing after work every single day.
And Takumi believes what took him years, doesn’t need to take others that long. Because when he started photography, there were no online photography courses out there that could accelerate his learning, and the traditional photography school was just way too expensive to even consider, so he was forced to spend hours upon hours going through 1000’s of videos on YouTube trying to self teach.
Takumi is confident that if he had a mentor, or an online program that broke everything down in chronological order, and without all the fluff you get online, that he would have been able to achieve everything he has in less than half the time.
And this is what ultimately drove him to shift this reality, and starting a beginner-focused photography education company called Fast Tracked Photography, that actually gets student results.
Takumi voiced that when he started photography, it was like a needle in a haystack to find valuable information online, so with Fast Tracked Photography, he has broken down his step-by-step blueprint on how he went from an absolute beginner who had never owned a camera, to a full time photographer making over six figures a year.
The photographer’s lifestyle is looked at to be unattainable, but Fast Tracked Photography owner Takumi Shyegun says that it’s real, and actually becoming a reality for his students.
With active students from all across the world, Takumi says that the key to the growth of his educational course is the fact that he tailors the experience for every one of his members by providing direct mentorship, along with new step-by-step videos constantly being added to the program.
Takumi is motivated each time he gets a message from his students about how much their photography has improved, and this drives him to continue delivering a 10-star service, and constantly add value to his clients.
The goal for the rest of 2021 for Fast Tracked Photography is to continue teaching everyday people how to build their photography skills to a point that they are actually getting paid for their work.
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