How long have you been shooting professionally?
I started my business in the fall of 2006 with some portfolio building before that, so four years.
What camera do you use? Which lens is your most-used?
Good question. ha ha! I currently shoot with a Canon 5D Mark II as well as a Nikon D700 with a 5D classic for backup. I started out Nikon (D70s and D200), switched to Canon for the magnificent 5D soon after, and am now bi-shooting. If only I could build the perfect Franken-camera utilizing the strengths of each system I’d be indecisive no more! I love the 50mm 1.4 of both systems and it’s my most-used. The 50 1.2 L is like the little girl with a curl down the middle of her forehead: when it is good, it is very very good; and when it is bad, it is horrid.
Do you have any formal training or education in photography?
I’m self-taught with a few workshops thrown in here and there. All of my formal education is in English literature but I’ve definitely found that the research skills I learned from years of undergraduate and graduate coursework have been tremendously useful in my new career.
What additional equipment or gear do you find really helpful?
Other than Kevin Kubota’s digital fill-flash action (which I call my invisible reflector ; )), none really. I bring only cameras to the shoot. No flash, no reflector (not counting sidewalks, white closet doors, and white duvets if the client has one!), no grey card, etc. Simple, simple, simple. I do love all things Mac and have started bringing an iPad to location shoots to show samples and wall displays.
How much digital manipulation do you do to your images and what programs do you use?
I edit with ACR and Photoshop CS4 (soon CS5, once I find a quiet moment to make the switch). I shoot everything in RAW and don’t do too much playing around in Photoshop. I make adjustments in ACR and then do light color edits (the soft light layer is your friend!), simple b&ws, and of course my fair share of dodging and burning. For fun images, I love Lily Blue actions.
Do you have any rituals or mantras that you use to prepare mentally before a session?
I write down the client’s name, address, last-minute contact number, and also the areas of the home she mentioned wishing to decorate with wall portraits when filling out the portrait agreement and questionnaire. I do sometimes consult Google StreetView when I’m looking up directions–I might find a cool spot a block or so away from the client’s home even though I haven’t been there yet. When I feel a little tired and not super excited for a session, I always laugh to my husband that I need to emulate Jerry Maguire’s mentor Dicky Fox, the one who said “I love the mornings! I clap my hands every morning and say, ‘This is gonna be a great day!’” Just thinking of that makes me perk up.
Can you describe your process for getting your subject into that perfect pose?
At every session, I always have an idea of the perfect image as well as a sense of what’s going to make the experience a great one for the client. I try not to sacrifice one for the other, as I’ve seen some photographers do. Yes, I want beautiful images, but I also want the experience to be enjoyable for the client and as fuss-free as possible, that is to say an experience that he or she will want to repeat! For little ones (most of my subjects) I just try to play with them near the light/background of the home that I like and wait for the “right” moment to transpire. As much as I would love to do no directing at all, I have learned that adults especially need direction to feel comfortable. Lifestyle portrait photography is not synonymous with photojournalism, in other words. I did shoot a wedding once and the part that I loved is that there was no prompting necessary from me for the most part. The decor was lovely, everyone had something to do, and emotions were riding high wherever I turned my camera. Not so for portrait shoots, at least until you get to the “comfortable” part of the session or have an activity planned.
How many hours goes into editing a standard session?
My workshop attendees asked me this recently and I truly did not know, so I timed myself. It’s around two to three hours, with the lion’s share being the initial whittling down from the images taken to the ones shown. The actual editing in Photoshop is pretty short and, while I do give individual attention to each image, I batch a lot and have automated just about everything I conceivably can. The sessions I’ve shot in my new natural light studio have taken less time to edit since the lighting situations are not as varied as they are for a home session.
What inspires you personally and as a photographer?
I’m always inspired by films, both their story and light. Through the process of furnishing my studio I also got hooked on a good many design blogs. Design Sponge, Apartment Therapy, Decor8 are just a few that are wonderful.
What mode do you shoot in?
Always, always manual. I need the control. I tried aperture priority a couple of times but with all the exposure compensation that needs to happen for a well-exposed shot, I thought, what’s the point? I might as well shoot manual!
Do you prefer color or black and white images? How do you decide which one for each image?
I love both but I think I am much more known for my color work and I certainly “see” color shots more when I’m shooting. For black and white images I’m looking for the relationship between shadows, midtones, and highlights before I decide whether to convert or not.
How would you describe your photographic style?
Whimsical and humorous for sure. I have some moody moments but I think a lot of my work is fanciful–though not in a fairy wing kind of way, obviously!–and tongue in cheek. I love unexpected images–like a toddler in a tutu at the bathroom sink–or ones that reveal moments of truth that others might relegate to the “cutting room floor.” One example that comes to mind is the sibling/newborn shot where the sibling looks none too sure about the arrival of this newest, cutest, attention-getter.
Do you ever get photographer’s block? How do you overcome that?
Sure. I think I’m in a rut now and am just about to escape to the other side and reclaim some mojo. I’ve been so busy with the studio, workshops, trips, etc. that I haven’t taken the time for personal shooting and creative exercises for a while. Also, my muse was in Kindergarten all day last year. :) I’m about to transform my studio a bit and am creatively inspired by that prospect (as well as the question of how does my style translate to a studio setting; that will be an ongoing question I’m sure). I’m also LOVING shooting dogs right now and can’t wait to launch my dedicated dog site soon.
What are your favorite subjects to photograph?
Seven- or eight-month-old babies when they are either the first or only child. Sitting with no danger of capsizing, not yet crawling. My favorite, bar none. LOVE them. Definitely my happy place and, my husband laughs, a true niche market. I just love the variety of genuine expressions and joie de vivre they have and I greatly appreciate their eschewing of sprinting and running. :)
Who have been your influences?
I was definitely inspired by Audrey Woulard when starting out and apply some of her business advice to this day. I’ve always been inspired by the perfection of Carrie Sandoval’s work and Jesh De Rox has taught me as much about life as about photography. I’m always inspired by Stephanie Rausser, Sharon Montrose, and Elizabeth Messina. And of course the work of my lovely photographer friends such as Daveen Lindley, Lisa Maksoudian, Lisa Slotsve, Rebecca Mudrick, and Patti Schmidt is ever-inspiring! I could name a hundred more.
Do you listen to music while you edit your images? If so, what’s your favorite music for editing?
I am a U2 fanatic. I also love The Killers a lot lately. But for editing I primarily watch either All My Children on Hulu (no derision, please!) or movies that I’ve seen before via Netflix online. I’ve found that editing on the Mac Pro while movies play on the laptop keeps me from straying to the forums never to return again to Photoshop. They need to be films I’ve seen before or documentaries, though, or they don’t register.
How do you handle a shy child, pushy parent, or difficult bride?
I never push babies or kids–ever. I take what they are happy to give me at the time and I wait it out if necessary. If a parent is attempting to “make” the child do something, I always jokingly say “Well, we could force him to sit there but then we wouldn’t really want THAT picture on the wall, right?” Always works.
How many images do you typically have at the end of a session, portrait or wedding?
I’ve vacillated between undershooting (i.e. feeling morally superior by embracing my inner film photographer : )) and overshooting (i.e. editing nightmare) and am now somewhere in between. I’ll take around 200 or so images at a session and whittle down to 40 or so. I shoot wide open much of the time and usually unpredictable subjects under three years old, so there is definitely a bit of overshooting going on. It happens more with the D700 because the shutter sounds so good. : )
What challenges or struggles did you face early on? How about currently?
Feeling comfortable at the session and seeing all of the little details that might plague me while editing later was a challenge at first. It’s much easier to move the Kleenex box on the nightstand than to try to clone stamp it out later! At the session, though, I was too concerned with navigating the various personalities involved and fretting about what I would “get.” When I moved to Philadelphia I knew two people, so I didn’t have a long period of shooting friends. I went straight to the wolves–ahem, strangers–fairly early. My challenge now is just getting everything done. My daughter is in school now and even though I never take a weekday off from shooting/editing/emailing/answering WordSmith questions/lather rinse repeat I still cannot get everything done. I’ve hired an assistant but am having a hard time finding time to train her! I don’t know what the answer is but being behind on e-mail and just super busy seem to be chronic conditions at this point. I’ll figure it all out one day. When I have time. ; )
Have you ever considered ending your career as a photographer? What were the circumstances?
Not seriously. When I have a particularly difficult client I entertain fantasies of quitting, but quickly snap out of it when I remember all of the wonderful clients I’m blessed to have and remember that difficult people will play a part regardless of the profession I choose. It helps to remember that their difficult natures are about them and not me, too. The bottom line is I adore what I do. As a former teacher who once had very limited salary potential (honestly, regardless of all of the wonderful things about teaching, I saw that pay scale when I was hired way back when and cried a little on the inside), I also find it encouraging that my hard work has resulted in a new home for my family, private school for my daughter, and other things that would have never been possible otherwise.
What is the best advice you have received regarding photography?
What a question! I can’t think of one single piece of advice that is the best, but so many tidbits that have been helpful over the years come to mind. I have always loved Cheryl Jacobs’ statement that someone should be able to look through my portfolio and tell something about my sense of humor from it. Our portfolio is truly shaped by who we are and what we choose to reveal or not reveal.
What advice would you give another photographer?
Even though we are always evolving as artists and business owners, visualize what you want your business to be in the end. With every client you book and decision you make, ask yourself: “If I were already successful and had all the clients I needed, would I take this job? Would I run this promotion?” Understandably, sometimes we just need the money, but always keeping in the forefront of your mind what you want your successful business to look like will guide your decisions and get you there much more quickly.
Former English teacher and Ph.D. student Joyce Smith gleefully left academia for photography and never looked back. She enjoys photographing what are surely Philadelphia’s most adorable, well-dressed children and bringing her passion for research and learning to her photography business. In addition to her children’s portrait work, Joyce is the creative force behind WordSmith for Photographers and an (extraordinary) workshop and will be launching her pet photography website this summer.
Website:
www.joycesmithphotography.com
Blog:
www.joycesmithblog.com
an (extraordinary) workshop:
www.joycesmithphotography.com/index2.php
Wordsmith for Photographers:
www.joycesmithphotography.typepad.com/wordsmith
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/joycesmith
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