Life as a creative requires consistent inspiration. Sometimes we can find that inspiration within, but other times it is necessary to look outside of ourselves. These 5 photographers who inspire offer unique viewpoints and evocative imagery- a combination that never fails to ignite my own creativity. Photographers Who Inspire | Nisian Hughes Starting out with […]
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So you’re in the process of choosing new photography gear. How do you make sure that you purchase the best piece of equipment possible, and that you’ll fall in love with using it? Choosing New Photography Gear: Know Why You Need It New gear is fun. The rush of buying it. The bliss of using
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Recently we drove several hours south of DC to pick up a tabletop that my husband had commissioned from custom woodworker. The woodworker’s son is a colleague of my husband’s and we were graciously invited to enjoy their farmland and lumber mill. Our boys didn’t want to leave. ;) Yet another indication that our eventual
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All indoor self portraits for October. Even though it was still pretty summer-like for the majority of the month, the beginning of fall always finds me retreating indoors. Maybe I’m looking forward to the holidays? Speaking of, I have started listening to Christmas music almost every day now that Halloween is done. 2 months per
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A week from today the last run of 2017 for Mastering Natural Light Indoors begins. I’ve been teaching this workshop for Click Photo School for over 5 years, now. I remember the nerves I felt creating the materials, wanting so badly to create an experience that would make a difference for photographers. After instructing hundreds
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While I was shooting my self portraits in September, I didn’t feel like they were incredibly inspired or creative. But now, as I look at them as a group I can see how I was experimenting with different techniques and I can appreciate the creativity that they do contain. This ability to see my work
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August was a rough month for self portraits. The end of summer seems to drain me of creative energy. Still, 2 portrait sessions are better than 0. {Morning Routine} Clearly, I was trying to squeak in under the wire for this prompt. I do like to fit in a bit of yoga and stretching to
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Self portraits were flowing easily in July. Some months are better than others… Interestingly, it appears that this was also the month of pink shirts? The above 2 photos were for the prompt “What I’m Reading.” I’m a pretty voracious reader. Reading has always been one of my favorite hobbies and one of my favorite
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Partial success. The week after the older boys get out of school I thought maybe I’d try a daily shooting project over the summer. I lasted 8 days. But, that’s 8 days of documentation more than I might have had! This image is a 4th birthday portrait. I wanted to include some sense of scale
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I love peeking behind the curtain at other photographers’ processes. From watching them shoot, to creeping on their SOOCs (straight out of camera images) I can never get enough of watching others work. This video will give you a quick overview of my export process in Lightroom. Fellow pseudo-snoopy types, enjoy ;) Summary of
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I’ve been photographing my kids, frequently, since my oldest was about 1 and 1/2 years old. That means he has been a constant subject for 8 years, now. His brothers have known no other life besides one with Mom’s face frequently covered with a camera. Over the years I’ve figured out that there are certain
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March was a fun month for self portraits. #portraitsofme is going strong on Instagram and my 3 little co-subjects are still happy to pose with me from time to time. Below are the images that I posted for the project, as well as a few extras. I’ve included settings information and will include a bit
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I’m not someone who likes to draw a lot of attention to myself. Blending in, being part of the crowd, keeping my behavior and the presentation of myself as neutral and unobtrusive as possible is the way that I typically prefer to function. Thus, making public self portraits runs counter to my natural tendencies. However,
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It is Spring, but I know some parts of the Northern Hemisphere are still dealing with snow! Here are a few tips to make shooting outside in snowy conditions as productive as possible: 1- Meter Carefully When Shooting Outside in Snowy Conditions Any scene that includes a large amount of information that has a tonal
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Using leading lines is one very effective method of harnessing compositional technique to create more impactful imagery. Leading lines can either be very bold and easy to follow, or they can be quite subtle and almost subconsciously guide a viewer through the frame. The goal of using leading lines is to create a path through
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One of my favorite little indulgences in life is to purchase a $5-6 bouquet of flowers at Trader Joes. I feel particularly blissful when it is Ranunculus season, but full Roses, pale tulips and delicate Hydrangea is satisfying, as well. My goal when bringing these bouquets home is two fold; I want to both 1-
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As we dive into the holiday season, opportunities for photos of kids engaged in easily recognizable activities abound. But how to add variety and interest while photographing the holidays instead of creating images that can easily look the same year after year? Here are a few quick tips: Cut Off the Heads Frame your
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As we are poised at the beginning of February, a month traditionally dedicated (at least partially) to romance and warm emotions, I thought it appropriate to spend some time examining reasons why I love photography, and why you may, as well. It can be tedious down in the trenches, as you are working through learning the
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Don’t. It’s that simple. While you may capture an image that is beautiful, you will always know that it is a copy of someone else’s work. Each time you share that image, you’ll have a guilty feeling in the pit of your stomach because the image isn’t really yours; its conception belongs to someone else. Instead
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Towards the end of the month, the momentum of a New Year starts to wane, ideas for creative photographs are harder to come by and the motivation to pick up your camera is fleeting. In short, the winter slump hits in full force. While it is completely fine to take a break from photography, if
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How is 2016 going for you? We’re almost 2 weeks in, now. Still going strong on those bright, shiny resolutions? Or beginning to lose some steam? Personally, I had a slow start to the year. We were away from our house, visiting family, for 2 weeks over Christmas break, and despite my best intentions
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