Who or what is your primary focus? (Weddings, portraits, commercial work, editorial, etc.)
my current client base is made up primarily of young families (couples, maternity, newborns, and families with toddlers and young children) with a handful of awesome wedding clients thrown in each year :)
Film or digital?
digital.
How long have you been shooting professionally?
just over five years :)
Do you shoot on-location, in-studio, or both?
i work strictly on location — typically either outdoors or in my clients’ homes.
What drew you to photography initially?
like many, i’ve loved photography and creating art since i was a child; however, i had no idea i would ever make a career of it. i actually fell into the business side of things when my wedding photographer hired me (on my wedding day!) to work for him as a second shooter. i spent that first season second shooting and eat/breathe/sleep-ing photography, and started up pink sugar the following year!
Who has influenced your work, style and/or approach to photography?when i was first starting out, i was quite active in the flickr community and i was incredibly inspired by all of the talent there. although at the time, i was primarily photographing weddings, i was always drawn to photographs of families and children and hoping my business would eventually head in that direction. among others, a few of the very first photographers i followed there were peta mazy http://www.petamazey.com/wordpress/ , michele anderson of pinkle toes http://pinkletoesblogstalker.com/ , and deb schwedhelm http://www.debsphotographs.com/ and i’ve been inspired by all three of them in different ways countless times over the years.
Who or what continues to inspire you most, personally and professionally?
i’m inspired on a daily basis by all sorts of things. by light and shadow, by texture and line, and especially, by people — i love watching interactions and seeing the little things that make each family different, the unique characteristics in their personalities and relationships that make them them. it would also be completely dishonest of me to discount the influence of other creatives — the work of other photographers, and that of musicians and artists and designers and stylists (…and the list goes on), continually inspire me to keep creating and growing as an artist. and lastly, i know it is totally cliché, but i can’t answer this question without mentioning my little girl, lila — her feisty determination, her enthusiasm and fearlessness, her loving heart; she inspires me to be a better person everyday and i’m so lucky to get to know and love her.
What do you enjoy most about being a professional photographer? What do you enjoy least?
the interaction with such awesome people! a great many of my closest friends and favourite people are either past clients or fellow photographers, and i’m incredibly grateful for all of the relationships i’ve been able to form because of my art and my career. i’m constantly surrounded by people in love, and i can’t think of many better ways to spend a day than that.
i’m not so much a fan of sitting behind a computer doing bookkeeping, updating my portfolio, keeping up with email, etc. ;)
How would you describe your photographic style?
full disclosure here, i’ve been sitting looking at this question for days, trying to figure out how best to answer it… there is a reason most of my blog posts don’t contain a lot of words ;)
my hope is that my style can be described as an artistic interpretation of real life; a blending of light and line and colour, with a tangible feeling of truth and love. i strive to show the world the beauty in the everyday, and in all of the people and relationships i photograph… with a little bit of fun and edge thrown in for good measure :)
Do you have any formal training or education in photography?
not really, but i have attended a handful of workshops over the years.
not really, but i have attended a handful of workshops over the years.
What camera do you use in your work? What lens is your most used? Most fun?
canon 5d. and had you asked me a month ago, i would have answered with the 24-70 2.8 and 50 1.4 for the lenses, but in the last few weeks i’ve fallen in love with the 28 1.8/50 1.4 combo and i can’t really see myself going back to zooms now.
In which mode do you prefer to shoot?
manual.
RAW or JPG?
jpeg.
jpeg.
Any additional equipment or gear that you just can’t live without?
not that i can think of :) i’m pretty happy with my simple little setup.
What program(s) do you use for post-processing? What is your favorite tip you can share with our readers regarding post-processing?
photoshop cs3. i’m definitely not a photoshop expert — i tend to keep things pretty simple with my post processing these days — but one tool i just learned about myself in the past year that has really helped me out is the selective colour adjustment. so awesome if you just want to adjust the tone in one colour without changing the others…
Do you prefer color or black and white images? What determines how you’ll process each image (or which film you’ll use)?
i’m typically a colour girl, but will process some images in black and white whenever it feels right to me… or when it’s too hard to get the colour right ;)
i’m typically a colour girl, but will process some images in black and white whenever it feels right to me… or when it’s too hard to get the colour right ;)
Do you ever find yourself in a creative rut? How do you overcome this?
definitely! i think anyone who works in an artistic field goes through ups and downs creatively. this year i’ve been working on a personal daily(ish) photoblog with lila, and i’ve found it has really helped me to stay out of any long term ruts. encouraging myself to [get off my butt and] shoot even on days when i’m feeling tired and uninspired almost always leads to creating something i’m proud of.
What has been the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given regarding photography?
be yourself. try to find your own voice rather than imitating somebody else’s style. shoot whatever makes your heart happy and let your personality shine through. chances are, what it is that you love most will be loved by other people as well, and those people are the ones you want as your clients. don’t worry about anybody else.
Tell us about your most favorite portrait session, most fun commercial assignment or dream wedding.
any session where the clients are really into the experience and are just able to relax and love and be themselves is a dream session for me. bonus points for gorgeous light and great style :)
any session where the clients are really into the experience and are just able to relax and love and be themselves is a dream session for me. bonus points for gorgeous light and great style :)
What is your favorite personal indulgence or treat?
not sure if this counts as an indulgence or not, but whenever i can find some spare time to get crafty or sew or decorate, that feels like a treat to me :) i also quite like shopping, pretty much anything sugary and massages!
Where is your dream getaway? And… would you take your camera with you, or leave it at home and enjoy the moment?
honestly, anywhere i can get away to with my little family, where we have lots of time to just relax and do whatever we please. and i’d bring the camera for sure :)
pink sugar blog http://www.pinksugarphotography.typepad.com
lila was here http://lilawashere.com
