I shoot.
I write.
I share.
Hey — I’m August Renner, a professional photographer based in New York. I’ve spent over a decade shooting portraits, landscapes, editorial spreads, and commercial work across three continents.
Behind the Lens started as a personal journal to document what I was learning. It became something much bigger — a community of photographers at every level who want honest, practical insights without the usual gatekeeping.
Everything I share here is from real experience — the wins, the mistakes, the gear I actually use, and the business lessons learned the hard way.
How it started
I bought my first DSLR at 18 with three months of savings from a part-time job. A second-hand Canon Rebel with a kit lens. I had no idea what I was doing — I just knew I wanted to capture things.
The first year was mostly overexposed portraits of my family and blurry street scenes. But I was obsessed. I consumed every tutorial I could find, practiced constantly, and slowly — very slowly — the images started to improve.
By 22 I was shooting weddings on weekends. By 25 I had quit my day job. Not because it was easy, but because I’d learned — through expensive mistakes and hard-won wins — how to run photography as an actual business, not just a passion.
Behind the Lens is everything I wish I’d had when I was starting out. No gatekeeping. No selling you gear you don’t need. Just the honest truth about what it takes to make great images and build a sustainable creative career.
What I do
Current gear
Let’s keep in touch
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