Well, I am a photographer. ;) I have a pretty quirky personality + sense of humor, either it's really easy for me to talk to you or it's really awkward....there is no in between. I think I may walk a little off the beaten path. But I'm very compassionate, open-minded and I care deeply about the ideas I believe in. One of my biggest pet peeves is bullying and seeing people be rude to strangers or rude to anyone without being provoked - this is something I proudly do not condone and have no quarrels with grabbing my soap box out to stand up against!
I'm also a mother. I have two incredible children : Gavin + Chloe. I sincerely do not know how people get through their day to day lives without having a couple miniature versions of themselves around to keep things interesting. Sometimes I wonder what all I could get done without being a mother, but then I realize how absolutely bored and possibly irresponsible I would be were I not a mother, so I keep them. ;)
Where is home? :
I don't know if I am meant to settle somewhere or anywhere for an extended period of time but currently I live in Eastern Iowa by the Quad Cities. We have been in this area for some time, but who knows - maybe the future holds warm weather and sand in our toes? You just never know. But for now we are corn fed Iowans for the time being and will be for some time. :)
If you could live anywhere on this awesome planet where would you build your dream home? :
I've seen so many portraits all over the world, but I have to say that European architecture appeals so much to my style and love of vintage property. I would probably either live in Paris where I could freely take my time discovering The Louvre or maybe some southern community with lots of great property. I also feel like in the United States, Austin is probably one of the most appealing places to me because I'm very artistic, really in to a lot of the music that comes out of Austin - so before Paris, I'd likely head on down to ol' Texas and check out Austin.
What is your current state of mind?
You know, on any given day my mind can be in so many places at one time it's difficult for even myself to keep up. But right now I think the overall atmosphere is contentment. I'm so enthusiastic for the new year and I am really starting to crawl out of a little bit of a funk that I was experiencing at the end of last year and beginning of this year. I'm really ready to just delve deep in to this business and really get my work out there.
Did you go to school to study photography?
Not necessarily. I guess I know one photography instructor that may suggest otherwise, but the classes that I did take literally did not teach me what I know about photography today. So, I guess I schooled myself? I definitely do not think that I just woke up a photographer, I did have a little luck in that I naturally seemed to 'get' things ... so that's kind of what I had going for me in the beginning. But as far as learning how to ''properly'' take a portrait, I did have to practice hard and learn to figure those things out. But I was never 'taught' photography, I did have a mentor for a little while and she taught me a lot about business... and at that time the general consensus was that if you wanted to be a photographer, you figured it out on your own. So I'd have never dreamed of having someone else teach me, I just assumed that if you want something ... you go after it yourself and that's what I did.
How long have you been a photographer?
This is difficult - what makes one a ''photographer"? I think I have been involved in photography related things since I was about sixteen actually, possibly younger as I had my first polaroid in middle school. I have always been artistic, before my main influence was photography it was fine art and I drew portraits of people. So, at about sixteen I would take pictures of random things or self portraits and then I would 'edit' them and I actually put together a lot of photographic manipulation collages and that sort of thing on the computer at a pretty young age. So I think that's where editing portraits really helps me, because I have thirteen years of editing under my belt. But as far as a paid photographer : four years.
How would you describe your style?
Candid + modern? I normally don't have a rhyme or reason to photographing an event or family portraits. I'm not necessarily too into props, though I'd like to have some bigger set ups for clients {which I'm working on!} I just kind of like to get a feel for the clients and then go from there. Honestly, I'm the least interested in posed photographs ... sessions that require a lot of posing are usually probably of my 'least favorite' and not least favorite aesthetically, I just feel like the realism that a candid portrait provides is much more moving and appealing for me personally. So I really try to capture those kind of moments or create moments that end up as candid. Which is not to say that I don't also enjoy posed photographs, I do - but I'm a real sucker for those raw moments that really capture a person.
How many weddings do you average per year?
About 20+. I don't like to take on too many weddings and overwhelm myself and my family, so I think staying somewhere in the ball park of 20 to 25 is pretty much ideal for me. But, weddings definitely do make up the bulk of my work load. And I love being primarily a wedding photographer.
What cameras do you shoot with?
I photograph with a Nikon D610 which is my most recent addition to my camera family. Before that I actually photographed with a Nikon D7000 and this is currently remaining my backup for now. I definitely feel like it's not the camera, it's what you can do with it because a good camera does not equal good pictures... but.. I do love knowing what to do with my D610. ;)
What is your favorite camera accessory other than your camera?
My Kelly Moore Juju camera bag. Absolutely one of the best investments ever! Especially for shooting weddings, it's so nice to be able to carry a whole lot of stuff with you in one bag and her bags are made so well, I don't see it needing replaced for a very very long time. I do so love that bag. <3
How important is Photoshop in your final images?
Probably not as important as people think. The obvious solution is to photograph the image well 'in camera' so that your work after is pretty minimal. However for my style, it is essential on the creative portraits. Normally though the formals and photographs such as that really don't spend a whole lot of time in photoshop unless there are some extensive edits that need to be done and I'm not really a big fan of light room, so I'm kind of a one stop gal and photoshop's features are just as efficient! :)
How do you feel about cropping an image?
I'm a notoriously Type-A freak. I absolutely cannot stand crooked portraits, there was a time when this was considered to be 'artistic' and I think I did one wedding where I thought I'd be all ''creative'' and photograph the church at an angle. Biggest mistake ever. I ended up in there moving every single image back to 'straight' because neither of us could stand the lop-sided church. And I loath lines that don't add up, I had another church recently that I swear was built sideways... the stairs would be straight, the background wouldn't be and I understand perspective planes and how they work... but this defied all logic. So, I was chopping away at the photos trying to make them straight. So, I crop quite a bit, especially if there are crooked planes in a photo... you'll not ever see me dramatically angle people so the look like they're standing sideways. Just... no.
What inspires you?
I'm not even sure why I'm including this question, it's so cheesy to me. Haha. Honestly, I think whatever is happening at the moment inspires me... if I see a child making a really cute face, I'll capture that. Or if the mood is very happy and people are laughing and having fun, I'll capture that. I guess if I see something that makes me have a moment, I'll try to capture it so that we can all share that moment.
How do you try to improve your photos?
At this point, I understand the basics of a photograph - so for me, it's just kind of trying to think outside the box. Consistently being creative is a very challenging task for a photographer, especially for someone like me who doesn't particularly enjoy photographing the same things twice. I don't necessarily enjoy utilizing the same poses twice, yet there are some poses that I particularly like and cater towards.... I try to make the environments new and the situations different in all of my photographs which can be quite limiting. So now it's about making old concepts new in some way and finding new concepts to incorporate for the future. It's all about consistently challenging yourself and not comparing yourself to other people in your field, I think that's where real growth lies : within.
What is your favourite recent image you have shot recently? What are your thoughts when creating the image and what it means to you?
This is likely my favorite image that I have shot within the last couple weeks. I just like how genuine it is and for me, it reminded me of my own daughter. There was no planning that went in to this photograph, it was at the end of the session and the little girl in this picture had this little stuffed animal that she carries with her everywhere and she started sucking her thumb. Technically, the session was over.. I just snapped this and that was it. But my daughter has a teddy bear that looks like it's from the 80's because it's so worn, she sleeps with him, cuddles with him, brings him to grandma's and she also has a blanket that's the same way. Every night we have to search for her 'minnie blanket and teddy bear'. So, it was just a correlation between work and home... things that matter to me. This is a part of who this little girl is as a child... it's far more moving than any of the posed photographs, in my opinion.
What do you feel is the most challenging thing about photographing weddings?
I would say that slowing down and really taking in everything that's happening is likely what is most challenging for me. This is why I like when couples hire my second shooter, because they can focus on the little things while I'm focused on the big things. On weddings where I run the show alone, it's a mental note I need to remind myself to focus on the details when there is so much going on. So, I think that's my biggest issue. That and getting several personalities to cooperate for group photos. :)
A wedding photographer that inspires you?
Probably the most inspiring is Blue Dandelion Photography - They're very creative, candid, rich and artistic - the editing style is close to what I have tried to achieve on my own, so I absolutely love their work. Very unique.
What one photographer would you be stoked to say 'they took my photograph'?
Gregory Crewdson, there is a fabulous documentary on Netflix about this photographer. His work is absolutely mind blowing.... and the amount of work he puts in to one photograph is unbelievable. He's an incredible photographer!
Do you have any marketing advice?
Be nice. :) Being nice will get you much farther than the opposing. I slipped up a couple times and assumed being honest about a situation was the right solution, incorrect - every time I have gone back and redirected my strategy to being kind and polite, the payout was ten fold. Sometimes you need to swallow your pride and just be nice. And furthermore, don't become to overzealous or pretentious - you ARE replaceable! We all are. :)
If not a photographer, what would you have been?
I seriously have no idea. Photography is so far the only occupation that has felt even remotely right. I could probably be a tattoo artist, I can draw but the prospect of putting a permanent 'drawing' on someone's body is a bit jarring. I may have went to school to be an ear doctor, because as bizarre as this sounds - those ear wax removal videos on youtube ... absolutely fascinating. ;) haha.
What's your favorite thing to photograph?
Children, likely. I don't know... kids just embody such a care free innocence that makes me wish we were all a bit more child like. Most young kids have no inhibitions, they never complain to me about how they look in a photograph... they are just content with being themselves no matter where they are or how they are behaving. I like that. I think we could all use to embrace our inner child.
Do you have any advice for those wanting to pursue photography?
I find that the general misconception is that photography is 'easy', but if that were the case we could all go buy a great camera and instantly make beautiful images on the first try. It takes dedication and hard work. Try not to focus too much on others, focus on yourself. Take the time to learn this stuff on your own, either pay for mentoring or learn how to use google, pick up a book, etc. Don't rely on other people to pave the way for you, the easiest way to figure out what works best for you is to do the research yourself. Once you get the photography part down, the hardest thing will be maintaining a business - being a better business owner is likely more important than being a better photographer, probably the hardest part of being a photographer is the business side of things.
Is there anything you would have done differently about your photography career?
Yes! I would have worked hard on my skills and then started charging. Many "photographers", myself included - start out ignorantly. We assume that a photography business doesn't require anything but a camera ... wrong. There's so much more that goes in to being a real business. I definitely went about building a business the wrong way. I started out cheap and as my skills increased, so did the amount I was willing to be paid. Had I started out focusing on figuring out my craft and then starting a business, things would have been a lot easier.
What is your greatest fear?
Now that I am a mother, my biggest fear is not succeeding and being able to provide for my family. This business is what puts a roof over my children's head, allows them to participate in dance, tae kwon do, drum lessons, etc. I have been a full-time photographer for two years and I put my heart and soul in to this business, so to see it go down would be my biggest fear and the uncertainty of what would happen if my children didn't have a home with the income this business provides is a pretty scary thought.
Something that is overrated?
Designer clothing. I'm sorry, I guess I should see the point... being that I do understand quality over quantity. But, for that kind of money, I'd much prefer something more tangible than a t-shirt that will be out of style in a year. Haha.
If you could have lunch with anyone famous living or dead who would it be and why?
Everyone will expect me to say Johnny Depp here because I am quite likely one of the biggest, geekiest, and most dedicated fangirls. But actually, I really think I would want to eat lunch with Hunter S. Thompson... because he is someone who really lived life to the extreme, just to hear his stories... man, that'd be incredible.
Where you'll find me on a Friday night at 9p.m.?
Editing. Haha.
First thing you would do if you won the lottery?
Well, I suppose that would depend on HOW MUCH I won... assuming I won a substantial amount, I'd stop worrying so much about finances. :)
Your favorite film?
Just one? Probably Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I also really love Goodfellas and The Outsiders. It's so hard to pick just one!
What would you like to be doing in five years?
Hopefully I'm still a photographer and I've gained a little broader audience. Hopefully I'm successful in what I do and my family is living comfortably and in good health - that's really all I could ask for.
Last question, if you had one last wish ... what would it be?
Even though social media has helped my business substantially, I'd honestly love to see less time dedicated to looking at our phones and more time making real life interactions with our friends and family. Technology can be our worst enemy if we let it, I'd like to see more actual social interactions... less people texting at the dinner table, during their kids baseball games, etc. There's a time and a place for that... during your kids baseball games, sitting next to someone you're having a meal with is not the time or the place. :)
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