Featured Photographer: Alexis D.

I met Alexis through another online mom's group (our daughters are the same age).  She recently started her photography business in Florida, and it has been exciting to  watch her adventures unfold through the power of facebook.  She was nice enough to answer some questions for me!  If you have any questions, feel free to add them to comments.


 What's in your camera bag? What could you not live without?
Right now I’m still shooting with my trusty Pentax K-x. I would have upgraded by now but I want to upgrade to a full frame sensor if I’m going to spend the money. I am definitely living proof that the camera matters a lot less than the person operating it! 
As far as what I could not live without it is definitely my 50mm f/1.4. For anyone interested in portrait and detail photography it is priceless. It blows out the background and makes everything look so creamy. Love it! 

What editing program do you use? 
I use Adobe Lightroom 3.0. I plan to buy Photoshop at some point for times when people request a lot of retouching but I am definitely more of the school of getting it right in camera and saving yourself some time on the back end. I think that the most important thing you should know as a photographer is how to make a proper exposure. If you know that, everything else becomes a lot easier!

Are you self taught? Did you take classes? What are some websites that you have learned a lot from or where do you find inspiration?
I am self-taught. I basically read my manual, read some books, looked up some websites and just shot shot shot. I think personally I have learned the most from just going out with my camera and firing away. I did take a nightschool beginner’s class when I first started but I had already learned so much online and from my camera that it wasn’t as helpful as I’d hoped. I still would recommend doing it if the resources are in your area though because it is really inexpensive and the photo assignments keep you inspired! 
Some websites I recommend to new photographers are Jodie Coston’s morguefile classes (google it!), also joining the flickr photo contest groups is great because it always gives you new ideas of things to shoot, and if you get more serious then thebschool.com and opensourceforum.net are also a great resource to connect with other photographers and get insight and advice. 

What made you decide to go from hobby to opening up your own business?
It was the first thing in my life that I felt like I had a natural talent for and also held my interest. My philosophy is “do something you love and you will never work a day in your life”, so I decided I had to do this…I couldn’t picture not at least trying! 

When did you get bitten by the photography bug? 
I have always had some sort of interest in photography, but I got my first “real” camera in January of 2010. It almost never leaves my side now!

Does owning a business make your love of photography more fun or more stressful?
Yes! It definitely takes on a different form when it becomes a business. So much of your time is consumed by non-photography related tasks that sometimes you wonder if the purity of the art form is being lost in between your pile of papers, but at the same time you also get to make money doing something your passionate about, being creative, learning, and giving people beautiful art that they will cherish forever. I can’t think of anything better than that!




Thank you, Alexis, for taking the time to answer my questions.  Here are a few examples of her stellar work. . . 

Sigh. . . So beautiful!   

Alexis' photography website is http://www.alexisdphotography.com.  She has an upcoming photo project using her camera phone that includes some lessons in photography on her blog.   Be sure to check it out!

Featured Photographer: Julie

So here it is.  The first featured photographer!  She claims it is just her "hobby", but I'm telling you guys, she is totally awesome.  Awesome and Canadian.  I met Julie through an on-line Mom's group because her youngest daughter and my son were born in the same month/year.  On this message board she made signatures for others on the board (like me) as well as herself.  We would send her a picture of our kid(s) and she would turn it into magic!  I adored her signatures and it's the first time I lusted after photoshop.  I almost didn't want to post this so I could keep all the good info for myself. :)

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When did you get bitten by the photography bug? What was your inspiration? 
 Honestly, it's a combination of having my first child 5 years ago and message board signatures.  The signatures took a plain but lovely photo of my baby girl, and depending on the skill of the maker, made it into a mini work of art.  I was hooked, and because it's in my nature to avoid dependence, I had to learn how to make them myself (otherwise I would be bugging those poor siggy makers every week-they don't mind, I just felt bad).  I joined a signature making board and their skill level challenged me to do better.  One maker in particular had a way of taking over exposed, or poorly lit photo's and editing the hell out of them and practically made those baby blue eyes pop right off the screen like liquid crystal.  She had mad skills.  Seriously.  So after my 2nd daughter was born, I was looking for a camera upgrade and bought a DSLR in March of 2009.


What camera do you use? If you use a SLR, what lens do you use/most/favorite? Other accessories?
I bought a middle entry level DSLR called the Canon Xsi and it came with a kit lense (18-55mm) and a zoom (55-200mm).  The whole package cost me about $800.  Since that was a whole 2 years ago, my camera is pre-historic and I seriously don't think they sell them anymore! (No joke).  Neither my camera nor my lenses are terribly valuable at this point, but I use them a lot and still find new ways to maximize their function.  I also bought a cheapy prime lense (has no zoom so you have to move your body or the subject for framing) 50mm a year ago in an attempt to make my camera more portable since I could no longer use my point and shoot (the quality sucked....bad).  My favourite lense is the zoom (55-200mm).  I find the quality to be the best and I have a love of macro (close-up) photography.


What editing program do you use? 
I used to have an old ripped version of PS6, which was great for making message board signatures, but after we bought a new computer, I couldn't find it.  It was a classic case of "I don't wanna lose this so I'll put it here" and then I forgot where 'here' was.  V8 smack.  So our latest computer came with (or I added) Photoshop Elements 6.0 for $90.  Actual Photoshop software is PRICEY! and I can't afford it.  So I use PSE and some preset actions I bought from Florabella (http://www.florabellacollection.blogspot.com/) and I use a combination of the two.  Be careful when you click that link.  I will deny all responsibility for your new found action addiction! 

I love your editing. Your black and whites have so much warmth. Sometimes you use an effect that looks a little vintage. What are some of your "favorite" things to enhance photos? 
I purchased Florabella's B & W package and they are fabulous.  I find that if you take a less than perfect pic or your subject has flawed skin, or the pic is great but the backround is distracting, sometimes converting to B & W forgives all these things and can smooth out the kinks in a pic.  Almost everyone looks good in B & W.  After I apply the action, I usually play with the darken and lighten commands until the faces or skin tones looks good.  The vintage look is literally a set of vintage actions (also from FB) but you have to watch your lighting as they make any dark area's very noisey (grainey) looking.  Someday, I hope to invest in a portable flash as this usually will provide adequate and ideal lighting and elminate noise.  Similar to my hate for noise, is my loathing of my pop-up flash.  So, as you can see, I am between a rock and a hard place.  I think I hate the flash more than the noise though ;-)

Any other tips to creating beautiful images? Do you like things balanced or off-center? What are some mistakes you think people make with taking/editing pictures? Any one thing you used to do, but now never do?
Cropping!  Sounds easy enough but I find I can't stand some photoghers pics that are cropped poorly (gawd, I sound like a snob....).  I think when editing, just be aware of wasted space.  Space in and of itself is not an evil thing (like pop-up flash, Ha!) but it needs to serve a purpose.  So if you are left cropping, then leave space on the right and vice versa, or if you are trying to include a tall object in the background, then you would leave space.  When centering, you want an equal as possible amount of space on all  four sides.  They don't have to be exactly equal but create some semblance of symmetry.  Symmetry is beauty, I kid you not.  There is actual research that indicates that humanity finds beauty in symmetrical facial features and that that (and giant giraffe legs) are what super models are found to have and we find them beautiful for it!  I guess one thing I used to do but never do it try to set up studios with my bed sheets.  You laugh, but I know you may have at least entertained the thought in your head.  It just isn't good.  Besdies, I discovered I lovelovelove outdoor photo's best.  If there was a way to make more hospitable outdoor weather in Canada for more months of the year, I'd find it!  I think I have to wait until I retire in 30 years and become a snowbird and spend my winters in Florida.....  

So  I then asked Julie if she would share a couple of pictures and do a little "before and after" to illustrate some of the editing she does.  She obliged and sent me the following nature pictures (to fit our theme this week) and a picture of her youngest daughter who is cuter than cute!  She also gave a little description of what she remembered doing.
 
In the nature pictures I first did the auto levels thing then I applied an action to one called Lume and the other one I used one called Smitten.  But that one was too light on it's own, so I darkened it 30% maybe?  

Before

 After

 Before

 After

And for her gorgeous daughter, 

I used a FB B & W action, but before I did I made two layers of the pic and lightened the levels of the background pic (to the point of slight over exposure). Then I erased the top layer over her left eye a bit with a soft brush) to compensate for the large shadow over her left eye.  At this point I applied the BW action.  It made her left eye peak through in the photo, but sometimes you can really make the eyes pop with this system too :) 

Before

After

 Anyways, thanks for the huge ego boost Sarah!  I just want to add, I am a nurse by training, not a photograher (so any insight I have is purely opinion based).  I typically don't refer to myself as a photog, I usually tell the ladies at work I have a picture taking hobby LOL.  This was fun!  

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions and share your work!!! 

Julie=RAD!