Today we’d like to introduce you to Ethan Good.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was always around photography. I lived across the street from my Uncle who is a photographer. He has traveled all over the world and his home was filled with his pictures, primarily portraits of different people from different nations. I remember looking at his walls as a kid. Amazed by all the different and beautiful faces and thinking to myself, “I want to do this”. When I was 13, we had family vacation at the Grand Canyon and my Uncle came along and showed me the basics of photography and how to work a camera. The next year I bought my first camera and was off to the races. I brought it everywhere and took pictures of everything. When I was a Sophomore, someone paid me like $50 to do their senior portraits and it clicked for me. I could make money doing what I loved. Since then, photography has been the only thing I have pursued for what I want to do with my life.
Two weeks after graduating high school, I moved to Thailand to work with a non-profit, running their photo and video media. I absolutely loved it there and had the best year of my life. While I was there, I learned I love telling people’s stories. No matter who they are or where they come from, I want to make beautiful art that truly captures my subject. But eventually, I ran out of money and it was time to come home.
Once back home, I was considering going to college to get my master’s in photography. Although, I really didn’t want to go back to school, as high school was boring enough. But I knew I wanted to do more than just family portraits and weddings. I wanted to become an editorial photographer and I had the goal of shooting for D Magazine. So I got coffee with a family friend and top-tier photographer here in Dallas, Justin Clemons, who does have a master’s in fine art photography. I picked his brain and asked him all sorts of questions. At the time he and his wife were opening a co-working space for creatives in Oak Cliff called FLOCC Studios. He offered me an intern position at the studio where I could learn by being in the environment. It was one of the best things I have done.
That was three years ago. Since then, I have continued to build my own portfolio and learn by assisting amazing photographers across Dallas. I am no longer an intern at FLOCC but now have my own space with them. And at the beginning of the year, I accomplished my goal and shot for D Magazine! But that was just the beginning. I am excited to continue growing and learning and shooting for bigger and bigger magazines. Creating work that I think is beautiful and tells people’s stories in intriguing and captivating ways.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have had a lot of favor on my journey. I have been surrounded by amazing people that have supported me and cheered me on. I owe so much of what I know to Justin Clemons who really took me under his wing and showed me how to make it as an editorial photographer.
And while I have been very fortunate with my connections I still had to do a lot of hard work to build my own style and establish myself in this very saturated market. The hardest thing was knowing my self-worth, pushing past insecurities and becoming confident. Confident not only in my work but in myself.
The process to finding your niche also takes time. People want everything so instantly now. I tried all sorts of photography before finding what I am doing now. I shot weddings for six months and I hate weddings. I would go with so much anxiety and even felt naughtiness before shooting weddings. But I had to pay the bills. and I could shoot 1-3 weddings on the weekend and have my whole week open to assist and learn from other photographers.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My business is Ethan Good Photography. I specialize in portraiture, but specifically environmental portraiture. While I am great at simple headshots on a white background, that doesn’t always tell the subject’s story. If I am hired to photograph a painter and all I send back is a portrait of them on a nice background, the client won’t be thrilled because you don’t know anything about that person. There is no character. And, oftentimes, the subject is not as comfortable because they are not in their natural space.
I also take pride in my process. Everything is so instant now that a lot of times when people approach shoots, they just go in guns blazing. I am great at making a clear plan and being very intentional about the subject, light, and how to best convey who the subject is or the message they are wanting to share. I try to light everything myself. While natural light is beautiful, it is unpredictable and hard to control. But if I know how to recreate light, then I can make it do whatever I want. So if you want a portrait that is light, airy, and optimistic, or dark, moody, and emotional, I can make that happen.
My favorite brand shoot was for D Magazine. It was my goal for three years. I worked really hard on building my own portfolio from personal projects and making killer work for every client, not just the big ones. I want people to know the intentionality behind their portraits. That I am not just getting a few snapshots, but creating powerful images that will make people stop scrolling through the hundreds of images on their feeds to look at the image of you. Because it is beautiful, intriguing, and can stand on its own.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I have learned how important your core relationships are. Not all your followers or even all the friends from school or church or sports, but the handful of people that are consistent in your life no matter what. And how important it is not only to have a core group of people, but to be intentional with them. To continue to engage each other and grow with each other in whatever way possible. Whether that is through Zoom or in person, keeping those relationships intact is so crucial.
Contact Info:
- Email: ethgood4@gmail.com
- Website: https://ethangoodphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ethangood_/
