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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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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Routine, everyday life is busy, sometimes chaotic, but also very normal. That normalcy sometimes soothes me into complacency and I stop taking pictures of what daily life looks like at our house. Unfortunately, the stages of interest, and even the way my children look, both change extremely frequently and when the urge to document does
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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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A few days ago I shared my most recent Day in the Life session. Here are some tips to help you complete your own DITL: Do pre-plan Although I do try to capture a day as authentically as possible, the fact that I have to be both Mom and photographer in one day means that
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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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Sometimes I wish that all of the important moments of life happened in beautiful light. Lovely, warm, light afternoon light, or moody deep inside light on an overcast day would be fantastic, but more often, memorable events take place when the light is less than wonderful. There is always the option to add light deliberately
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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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Light is almost everything in photography. Literally, photography means “light writing,” but more applicable to the act of creating imagery is the fact that studying and understanding light will immediately increase your skill as a photographer. One easy to grasp distinction to understand is the difference between directional and flat light. Purposefully choosing which type to
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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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It is actually quite uncommon for me to deem a given scene “badly” lit. However, it does sometimes happen that I have deal with what I have and end up photographing in bad light. Generally, the light is bad because I do not have the option to modify it. If I can move subjects, add
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I’m currently working through a weekly self portrait project over on Instagram, called #portraitsofme. My good friend Courtney, of clickitupanotch.com, and I would love to have you join in with us. Today, to go along with the images that I created in February, I’m going to share tips for 3 types of Self Portraits that you
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Arlington Cemetery is one of the most important tourist sites in the greater Washington DC area. It is beautifully maintained, integral to our national identity and worthy of a few hours of time if a visit to DC is in your plans. Here are five photo prompts to help you most fully capture the experience
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The Rule of Thirds is one of the most used compositional approaches in photography. According to MoMA.org, composition is: The arrangement of the individual elements within a work of art so as to form a unified whole; also used to refer to a work of art, music, or literature, or its structure or organization. The
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What can sometimes be the most chaotic morning of a family’s year also contains some of the most memorable moments. Emotions running high, the potential for magic in the eyes of the children is palpable and there are color, textures and lights galore. Need a few strategies and tips to photograph Christmas morning (or any other holiday
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When I first started out with photography, I did 2 years of 365s, back to back. That daily practice of shooting, editing and sharing made a huge difference in my initial growth. If you’re considering taking on a 365, here are some of my best tips: 1. Find your tribe Like most aspirations, photography is
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Multi day, fly away on a jet plane trips are wonderful. For me, they’re almost essential. However, it isn’t practical to travel abroad often, or take week long trips away from home. Thankfully, it is more than possible to live as a perpetual tourist in your own home town, reaping the benefits of noticing the
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