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Hey everyone! Sorry for such a late blog post this week! Today, I'm featuring another interview from my photographer spotlight series. Enjoy some words of wisdom from the lovely Anneke Taylor! Isn't she a beauty?!? Tell me about yourself. (Name, current hometown, when did you launch your photography business + anything else about yourself you want to share) I am currently a freshman at Cornerstone University - moved from Fort Wayne, Indiana which is where I launched my photography business. I’m currently studying music as that and photography are two things I’m very passionate about How long have you been taking pictures? I’ve always wanted to take photos - I grew up with a mom who took photos of everything and always wanted to learn skills and such. I took photo classes when I started attending public school sophomore year, but I didn’t start actually taking photos of people the way that I do now until last December. What kind of equipment do you use (brand, type of camera, etc.)? I’m a Nikon person. I bought a new D7100 last Christmas time and am slightly obsessed with it. It’s taught me a lot about photography by being so complex. ha. What is your favorite lens to shoot with? Why? My 50 mm. Hands down. It drops down to an 1.8 in aperture which allows me to really blur out the background of my photos and focus strongly on the subject. It takes great up close shots as well and really adds a lot of depth and vibrance to the photo. I’ve tried out other lenses but can’t bring myself to switch. What is one thing you wish you would have known when you started photography? I wish I would’ve known that it’s okay to just shoot things that I love. I felt very pressured a lot of times to shoot serious and dark things - which is great - but it’s also great to focus what you have an eye for and what you truly love. What are some important lessons you’ve learned over the course of your career? word of mouth is HUGE.I literally built up my business through instagram - my posts and other people’s posts. People sometimes don’t know what they want until you show it to them. What is your favorite part of your job? interacting with people. I’m a huge people person so I love engaging in all sorts of conversations during the shooting hours. If you could take pictures (wedding, engagement, etc.) in any place, where would you go? Why? my favorite time of day is sunset - i am in love with the sun and natural light. As far as any place…I love very open fields with tall grass and the sun illuminating the nature, and just wide open spaces. But if i could go anywhere…I would love to shoot on the cliffs of Ireland. My brother went there over spring break last year and ever since then I’ve had the strong desire to capture the magnificence of the land there. What is a goal you have for your photography business? I’d love to get to a place that it stays constant throughout college and beyond because it’d be a perfect thing to be able to do when I want to have a family and not have to work full time in order to provide for my them. And for now, it’s a great way to flexibly work through college. What is your favorite picture you have taken? Why? that’s such a hard question. I love a lot of the nature photos on my instagram because, as I said before, I’m fascinated and in complete awe of the sun and it’s light. But as far as people….I would say this photo of one of my favorite couples ever ever ever. We didn’t plan on shooting in the rain, but sometimes you have to be quick on your feet and roll with the weather. It turned out to be one of my favorite shoots ever. I love the rain and mood captured in the photo as well as the love you can feel that they have for each other. {I was having problems inserting the photo, so head over to my other site to see it!} Thanks so much for sharing, Anneke! Be sure to head over to her website and check her out! Have a fantastic weekend, everyone! - Leah
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Hey everyone! Today I'm continuing in my series of photographer interviews! I had the privilege of interviewing Jenna Borst of Jenna Borst Photography a few months back and to say it was a blessing would be an understatement. Jenna is one of my photography role models, so it meant the world to me to be learning from her. Isn't she gorgeous?!? <3 Photo credit to Jenna's Instagram.:) Enjoy the interview! Tell me about yourself. (Name, current hometown, when did you launch your photography business + anything else about yourself you want to share) My name is Jenna Borst, I am currently living in Upland, Indiana but I am originally from Rockford, MI. I work at Taylor University and I own a photography business as well. I started photographing weddings and portraits in college, but I wouldn’t say it was serious and busy until this past year. I got all new and better equipment and I threw myself into learning the ins and outs on lens, lighting, manual settings and I have just practiced more. While doing all of this, I grew to love it even more. I have a wonderful husband named Taylor that is my assistant and second shooter, which has been such a blessing. I also have two adorable and crazy pups, a goldendooble and a chi-poo! I love camping, northern michigan, tropical islands, sports and I love people ( I have a big heart for kids & adoption). How long have you been taking pictures? Since like 7th or 8th grade, I took my mom’s Nikon DSLR and surprised her for Mother’s day with photos of all my siblings in frames that I picked out. SO funny to look back at them. I also asked for a digital camera for my birthday or christmas and was obsessed. This was before the time of iPhones being handy cameras. What kind of equipment do you use (brand, type of camera, etc.)? My first camera was a Nikon but then I switched to Canon, and I have loved it! I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark II. I want to upgrade next to a Canon 7D EOS What is your favorite lens to shoot with? Why? My favorite lens right now is my new Sigma Art f/1.4 35 mm lens. I also love the Canon 50 mm f1.2 lens. I shoot almost always with one of these two prime lens, and my feet are the zoom. They make amazing quality of the images and I stay around about 1.4-1.8 aperture pretty much always! Most zoom lens start above 2 or even as high as 4, so you can’t get the same feel or have the shutter speed as fast to capture movement. What is one thing you wish you would have known when you started photography? I wish I would have studied lenses, aperture and shutter speed. I had the eye when I started but not the technical knowledge. I just started to really understand it all and get really nice lens, and it is making such a difference in my photos. What are some important lessons you’ve learned over the course of your career? Let me first say- photography is SO competitive. There are tons of “photographers”. It’s hard to put yourself out there when you know that you are up against a lot of talented people. In the past I have worried too much about people not "choosing” me as their wedding photographer. I thought, "I must not be good enough” or I just felt a sense of failure. I still am learning that even though there are a lot of photographers that are more established and “better” than me, I am unique, and bring something to the table that no one else can. What is your favorite part of your job? Meeting new people, and just getting paid to take pictures and edit is dreamy. I LOVE editing. I also love florals too much so I love photographing those. I love going outside and playing with light and shadows and wind and just ordinary making moments look cool and pretty. If you could take pictures (wedding, engagement, etc.) in any place, where would you go? Why? A cliff along the ocean, or on the top of mountain overlook or cliff out west are definitely dream locations for me- or pretty much any wedding in on the coast or wine country of California. I just can’t imagine a more beautiful setting in God’s creation to capture a wedding or engagement session. It is SO gorgeous out there both from color, to light, to the creation. What is a goal you have for your photography business? I would love to be at a place where I shoot about 20 weddings a year, 15 senior photo shoots a year, and some family sessions mixed in too! I want the flexibility to travel, be a mom, and recently I have a dream for a home studio with a white washed brick, to do winter photo shoots. And to use my love for this to bring joy to the people I work with. I love making images that people will save and cherish forever. What is your favorite picture you have taken? Why? I would have to say I don’t have one favorite. I have like maybe 15. One is of my sister, she just is beautiful and I love the lighting and emotion in her face. One of a senior. One of a bouquet that I LOVED! One of some umbrellas lined up along a bay in Greece. Of of a new mama holding her baby boy, the lighting and emotion again always get me. View more from this session HERE.
Thanks so much for sharing, Jenna! Have a great week, everyone! - Leah Hey everyone! It's been a while! But, I'm back and super excited to share some more photography knowledge with you all. Today, I'm continuing in my 'series' on photographers. I had the privilege of interviewing one of my all-time favorite photographers, Laura Fifield. I've always had a ton of respect for her, and her work is absolutely phenomenal. Enjoy the interview! But, first of all, let's take a moment and appreciate how gorgeous she is. :) Photo credit to Joe and Patience Tell me about yourself.(Name, current hometown, when did you launch your photography business + anything else about yourself you want to share) My name is Laura Fifield. I currently live in Greenacres, WA which puts me half way between Coeur D Alene, Idaho and Spokane, WA. I launched my business in April of 2012, officially. I have been married for almost 10 years, and we have 2 little ones that I am fortunate to stay home with, while also running a business. It's definitely takes balance to be a stay-at-home mom and small business owner! How long have you been taking pictures? You could say I've been taking pictures all my life, you know with disposable film cameras "back in the day". But it really wasn't until after my daughter was born that we invested in a DSLR to capture everyday moments. Fast forward a few years until Spring of 2011 when I had friends approach me asking if I would take their pictures. It was incredibly intimidating, but I fell in love with capturing moments for other people. What kind of equipment do you use (brand, type of camera, etc.)? I am a Nikon girl! I currently shoot with a Nikon D700 and a Nikon D750. Both are amazing camera bodies and I love them each for different aspects. The D700 is my go to body for family sessions and everything in between. The D750 is reserved for Birth Photography stories. Both bodies are always in my camera bag for backup. What is your favorite lens to shoot with? Why? Can I have 2 favorite lenses?! Both are important and my favorite for different things. First, my Nikon 35 1.4g is a must for story-telling images. I use it 100% of the time in Birth Stories, and in in-home Lifestyle sessions. The wide angle really allows me to step back and capture the full story. For outdoor sessions, you'll find my Sigma 85 1.4 on. The quality is crisp, clear and sharp. Plus the bokeh is buttery and delicious. It allows me to stand back, let families be comfortable while still getting tight in shots. What is one thing you wish you would have known when you started photography? I wish I would've known that my version of success doesn't have to look like anyone else's. There is a lot of noise in the photography world and I've left myself compare far too often but I have some incredible mentors who keep me focused. What are some important lessons you’ve learned over the course of your career? Well, I'd say that some of the most important lessons I've learned over the course of my career would be that community over competition is a beautiful thing. When you have local peers who champion, support and even refer one another you don't feel so alone. Photography is a business where yes you are out there a lot with clients, but there is also a lot of work behind the scenes and it's a solo business. Also like I mentioned before, comparing yourself to others will create a lot of head noise and get in the way of success. What is successful for me doesn't have to look like everyone else's. What is your favorite part of your job? My favorite part of the job would be connecting with my clients and creating moments they will cherish forever. If you could take pictures (wedding, engagement, etc.) in any place, where would you go? Why? If I could take pictures anywhere in the world, it would be Ireland. Hands down. I am half Irish {my dad was born in Ireland} and Ireland is such a beautiful country. I would love to document a family/maternity session among the rolling, green hills, in the countryside and among the castle ruins. Another dream of mine though is to have a family fly me out to document a Birth! Of course it's a little tricky, but it's possible! It's on my Bucket List for sure! What is a goal you have for your photography business? A goal I have for my photography business is to be known for quality work, excellent customer service and that my soul shines through in my work. What is your favorite picture you have taken? Why? Favorite picture. That's a hard one! I have favorites from every single session I've ever shot. I think it would have to be a birth photography picture though. The picture evokes so much emotion and it's an example of everything I hope for people to feel. Overwhelming JOY. The picture is of a brand new mom, holding her son who is only 2 or 3 minutes old, with a tear running down her face. She is overcome with absolute Joy, after accomplishing the most incredible moment of her life. Wow. Just amazing. I'm in love with this picture!
Thanks, Laura, for sharing such wonderful words of insight.:) Be sure to check her out on her website! Have a great week everyone! - Leah |
Leah RachelleLover of Jesus, photography, meeting new people, tea, books, and weddings. Archives
April 2016
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