Photographer Life Q & A

I just hit EXPORT on the last wedding that I needed to finish editing and I am doing a happy dance, inside as well as outside ;) The end of our busy season is always a breath of relief, but then it’s always a ‘now what?’. Now it’s time to get booking for next year! Starting the first week of January that is, when we get back to shooting our first wedding of the year in photo and video. We are looking forward to that, but also looking forward to a little break too. One of the things that gets put on the back burner during my busy season is my blog, if I get time at the computer I use it to edit or reply to client e-mails and not to sit down and write blogs. So now is the season I get to blog again! It’s something that is so fun for me, and a great creative outlet besides photography. But since photography is still fresh on my mind right now, I thought it would be fun to do a Photographer Q & A! I have been shooting professionally for 11 years now, and I have learned so much along the way. I have grown and had set backs, and learned hard lessons, and had so many great moments too. I know having a photography business can be a trend for some, it’s exciting at first and you get a bit of a high, thinking “wow I could do this forever!” and then there are ebbs and flows and you have days where you really want to throw in the towel and call it quits. (thankful my husband is there during those days to talk some sense into me, love ya ;)) But I decided at the beginning I wanted to do my best at it and stick with it, and I am so glad that I have all these years. I know I won’t and can’t do it forever, but for this time right now it really helps out, and gives me a creative outlet and a way to help provide for my family while still staying home with my kids during the week. If nothing else, those things alone make it extremely worth it. I complied some questions that I thought would be interesting to answer as well as some I got through instagram, and I am excited to share them with you today! These are all based on being a ‘Portrait or Wedding Photographer’ and I tried to keep the responses short, so that it didn’t get too long ;)

What is the Best and Worst thing about being a Photographer?

The best thing is making my own hours and being my own boss while getting to work outside and be creative, also you can’t beat being given a first class seat to so many people’s special moments in life. I also like the fact that I am providing a good service for people and they like it, there is something satisfying about that! The worst thing is putting yourself out there for judgement, and also having to spend so much time in front of the computer with the editing. It’s been killing my eyes so much lately that I ended up buying ‘blue light glasses’ to get me through the long hours, and it really does help! Also, the occasional not so nice client, but honestly I’ve worked with 95% the kindest people and I am so thankful for that.

What interested you about Photography and how did you get started?

I always enjoyed taking a nice picture ever since I was pretty young, with my little pink film camera. I am also pretty creative minded, and love creating things, photography was something I could create and enjoy the process and share with others. I consider it a form of art, and that is was draws me to it. Once I had my first son and subsequently moved out of the country, it was my mission to document his growing up so that I could share his growth with family and friends back home. I received my first ‘big girl’ camera as a gift that year, and I had so much fun taking pictures and posting them. I then started to get people asking me to take photos of their own families, and that’s how it all started! At first I was adamant that I did not want to charge people, as I really didn’t know what I was doing at that point, and I was nervous that charging people meant I had to do a perfect job. So, I started with doing portraits for basically free in the exchange that I could use the photos to build my portfolio. Eventually my husband convinced me that I needed to start making a business out of it, and the first few years I was really motivated and did so many sessions which really helped me learn, and realize what kind of photographer I wanted to be.

How did you know you wanted to specialize in weddings?

If you had asked me 10 years ago I would have said NO WAY would I ever shoot a wedding, I was absolutely terrified of even the thought of shooting a wedding. Then my good friend’s sister asked me if I would photograph her wedding, and I hummed and hawed, but ultimately decided I should try it. (Again with the encouragement of my husband, he really helped nudge me along to do new things with my business) So I shot my first wedding, and decided I didn’t hate it! Yes it was nerve wracking, stressful at times, and a huge responsibility, but I had done it and realized that I could definitely try to do it again. I also saw the interest out there and thought that it would benefit my family more financially to do weddings. Once I started accepting weddings, I realized it was a lot of work, and I couldn’t take on too much more then that, so that’s when I decided I should stick with mainly one genre. I still do portrait sessions here and there when I can fit them in, but I make weddings the main focus. I like that I work one day out of the house on the actual wedding day and the rest of the work can be done at home in my own time.

As a busy Mom what is the max number of weddings you do each year?

I believe that the most I could take on realistically with Homeschooling also is 15 weddings a year, and that would also include engagement sessions, and the random portrait sessions I shoot as well. Shooting the wedding is only one day, but the hours of computer work associated with each wedding is what adds on so much time. If I had more help with the editing, I could probably take on more. But 15 ish a season is the most I have ever done or wanted to do at this point. I also don’t want to start hating it, haha and if you pile on too many your creative juices run out really fast and your going to feel burnt out.

What camera do you shoot with? And what is your favourite lens?

I have been shooting with the Nikon D810 for about 5 years now, and I am quite happy with it. It took years to get the camera that I really wanted, I had to work hard for that , I shot with a less then amazing camera for years, but made it work with what I had! It’s been nice to have the camera I really wanted to for a while now. My favourite lens for about 8 years has been the 85mm 1.4, Ohhhhh baby! I practically never take that off of my camera, you have to pry it from my hands ;) Thanks to my parents who gave it to me as a gift to support my business years ago. When talking to me you will find out pretty quick that I am not a ‘gear girl’ though, I am quite happy with my simple set up, and make it work for me without too many gadgets or gizmos. It’s all about the light for me! Give me some good natural light and I am a happy photographer. I can also add for inquiring minds that I edit with ‘Lightroom’ and not Photoshop, and I have been using Lightroom for about 10 years, I am pretty stuck in my ways with it and probably will never end up learning anything else to ensure I can continue to have a good and quick editing flow. I am encouraging my oldest son to learn Photoshop though, so maybe he can help me out in the future! ;)

When did you become confident in your Photography?

This was a great question that I really had to ponder! I don’t think I am ever 100% absolutely positively confident going into weddings each time, and that is because a wedding is not a ‘controlled environment”. When I book a portrait session, I get a say in the location, I know exactly how many people will be involved and who the people are, I also get to choose what time of day to have the session, which means I get the most ideal lighting that I can hope for. With weddings, you don’t generally get to choose any of those things. You’ll walk into an extremely dark hotel room with one tiny window, black ceilings and have to pull our your photography unicorn skills to get the type of photos you want for your client. Much of the time with a wedding you are not shooting during optimal lighting, (very common actually) where our outdoor ceremonies are in harsh direct sunlight with big casting shadows and again those unicorn skills need to come out. So I think with portrait sessions I feel pretty confident as I have a bit more control, but with weddings I do typically feel more ‘on my toes’ which I actually think is a good thing as it pushes you to do your best and pay attention. You can’t be lazy and ‘check out’ during a wedding!

What is the hardest thing about shooting Weddings?

To go along with the last question, besides the responsibility of ensuring your clients get the wedding photos they always hoped for, the hardest thing would probably be that you have to be ‘on point’ the whole time for however many hours you are there. You can’t wander off and relax, you need to be available, not only there for the bride and groom but being a positive and helpful person to the family and wedding party, holding flowers, getting water, picking leaves out of wedding dress trains etc. all while shooting in many different situations. So you kind of gear up for it, and you go into the day knowing “Ok this next 8 hours is about doing my best for these people, I am going to give it my all, I am going to get tired and worn out and I can rest after!” Also, this is my big tip, go pee and have a quick snack and drink whenever you have the opportunity on a wedding day, because it could be many hours before you could have a free minute to do those things again!

What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone starting off?

I would say to shoot A LOT, every day take your camera out and shoot, in all different lighting, and situations, with different ages of people. Just experiment and see if this is something you really love and try to find your niche if you can. Then you can start to target to your specific client. Once you have figured out what type of photographer you want to be, wether it be a newborn photographer or family photographer, go all in on that one type and learn about it, practice it and make it your speciality. Also know your worth, I have always had trouble with this. Charge what your time is worth and don’t feel bad about it! (preaching to myself too haha) Don’t be afraid to say no to something that doesn’t fit with what you offer. It’s ok to say no sometimes and to not take every booking that you get. Go with your gut and obviously keep challenging yourself, but if something feels off and there are red flags, pass on it. Not every inquiry is going to be the best fit for you and that is ok. I am a big proponent of following your instinct :) One more thing, your style of photography wont be everyone’s style and that is also ok. Put out work that you love and you will attract the people that want what your putting out there.

What do you do while you edit to pass the time?

I mainly put in my ear buds and listen to upbeat music or interesting Podcasts, and try to get into the ‘zone’. To do this I need to close down Facebook and Instagram and take away those distractions (my kiddos and pups are distraction enough LOL!) Chris and I were just chatting about how nice it is when editing photos you CAN listen to Podcasts and things to pass the time, with Video editing you cannot do that, because you need to be listening to your video sound and music to be able to properly make a film. So I’ll take it ;) Snacks that are easily popped into mouth and not messy are always a bonus too.

How do you stay creative and inspired?

Great question! It’s so important to make sure you don’t get run dry, as you don’t want to stop enjoying what you do. I get inspired by nature and natural settings, so a new interesting place to shoot like a new waterfall or trail I hadn’t been to before would be a great inspiration for me! Also I think it’s important to always take time to shoot ‘just for fun’ wether it be your own family or for me shooting nature around me, even just in my backyard. I try to do this regularly to remind myself why I love capturing a beautiful picture. It’s also important to always keep learning, so research and try new techniques and keep challenging yourself in different ways. I will never have ‘arrived’ there will always be something new to learn.

To sum it all up, I am so thankful for the unexpected opportunity I have had in my life to run my little photography business. I never would have thought growing up this would be my occupation! It’s been such a learning experience, and I am very glad that I have stuck with it through the highs and the lows all these years. I am always delighted and grateful for every inquiry that I get in my inbox , and smile at the little excited butterflies that come over me before a wedding. I know that God has used this job to grow me in many ways, and will continue to. And always very thankful for all the lovely couples who have put their confidence in us to capture their precious wedding day memories <3 There are so many more things to share, but I didn’t want to go overboard ;) if you have any more curious questions, leave a comment!

Love,

Shelley

Dear Summer...

Dear Summer…

You have been a gift, and have come and shown your presence in so many different ways…

In the rays of the sun that shine down on our skin, feeling as warm as a hug, giving strength to our bodies.

In the rustle of the leaves in the lush trees above as a breeze flows through, bringing true refreshment.

In the sounds of the birds singing their songs early in the morning, until late in the evening, they are calling out their praises for this bountiful season too.

In the way the daylight dances across the ripples of the water, showing off as if a brand new diamond catching the light for all to see.

In the calls of the crickets at night that bring comfort as we lay in bed, to the sounds of the cicadas during the day that remind us to enjoy the warmth that shines down.

In the chimes on the back porch that sway in the wind and remind me that simple moments are the best moments.

In the many colourful flowers that bloom at different times, they are all so unique and different, just like us.

In the smells of freshly cut grass, summer rains, and the lingering smoke from a fire that was made just to toast some hot dogs and marshmallows.

In the sound of the paddle slipping into the water as it pulls our canoe further, and the drips that fall off it’s edge as it lingers in the air waiting to dunk again.

In the croaks of the frogs, who sing their songs at night as loud as the birds, understated in their place, swimming by lily pads that flow with each small wave.

In the way the evening sun brings a warm glow to everything it touches, as it prepares to take a nap and let the moon start it’s shift.

In the feeling of bare feet on the grass and sand, free to walk and explore and filled with stains by night to be washed off in the tub.

In misty mornings on the porch drinking tea and watching the sun peak over the trees, to afternoons by the lake, reading books and listening to the splashes of children jumping into the water.

In the taste of wild sour berries that are picked with little hands, getting prickled by the thorns that try to protect their bounty, leaving pink stains across happy cheeks.

In the colour of the sky, so vast and blue, with big white clouds passing by that look so fluffy you could lay your head down on them and fall asleep.

In breathing in deep and feeling refreshed with the air that fills up my lungs.

In the daily strolls that have us walking a little slower and a little longer, our eyes lingering over all the signs of life that pass by.

In the freedom of just being still, and living as many moments soaking it in, not taking it for granted, because we know what is coming soon.

Summer you are the season we need to get through other seasons, the season that brings so much life,

the season that is so bittersweet to say goodbye to, as we see those green leaves turn yellow and detach from their limbs..

floating softly to the ground ready to start a new season...

Summer, you have been so good to us.

Going 'gluten free' when I never thought I would, and how it's helped me!

Writing about a ‘diet’ or a way of eating seemed so silly to me at first, who wants to know how I eat, or even cares really? But it’s been a big part of my life the past few months and I knew it was something I definitely wanted to share about in some capacity, so here goes! I don’t believe in pushing diets or eating lifestyles on people, if you eat meat and it works for you, that’s awesome! And if you are vegan and that works best for you, that is amazing too. We all have different bodies that are properly fuelled in different ways, and I believe everyone can find their own ‘sweet spot’ in what works best for them, and their family when it comes to food.

I was always typically an ‘everything in moderation’ girl for many years, and I still go with this approach for how I feed most of my family, but a few months ago, when a doctor strongly suggested omitting dairy, gluten and refined sugar from my son’s diet to help him with some struggles he had been having, it really made me think. The doctor had explained that these foods caused inflammation in the body and brain specifically in decision making, and that were likely making his (behaviour disorders, without going into too much detail for his privacy) worse. At first I thought, Ok this guy is trying to tell me that eating BREAD is what it causing my son so much struggle? I didn’t buy it. Yet, in all my research I’ve done over the years trying to help my son, I had read many times about how gluten makes certain behaviour disorders worse, but I didn’t want to believe it. My second thought after thinking it was ridiculous that omitting these foods would help my son, was that it would be far too difficult to feed him no gluten when the rest of the family was still eating it. But in an effort to try everything I could to help our son thrive, I decided that we would try this diet and that I would do it along with him, so he wouldn’t have to do it alone (as I knew it would be very hard for him) and also because I was very curious about how it would effect my body as well.

So on May 1st this year, we went ALL in on the no dairy, no gluten and no refined sugar diet. I spent the month of April planning for it, finding recipes and making meal plans. I wanted to be prepared so that we didn’t have the urge to ‘cheat’, I wanted to really stick to it as much as we could, so that we would truly see what kind of affect it would have. The easiest part to start off was not having dairy, because to be honest I haven’t really eaten much dairy at all for the past 10 years anyhow, except for yogurt, as it’s never really agreed with me. The refined sugar wasn’t as hard for me either, as I don’t have a sweet tooth, but it can be sneaky because they put sugar in EVERYTHING, so I really had to keep an eye on reading labels to make sure we didn’t get any sneaky sugar in our meals. On the other hand, giving up refined sugar WAS hard for my son, as he does have a major sweet tooth, so I was put to work finding homemade recipes for granola bars and treats that had no sugar in them so that he wouldn’t feel completely put off by this new way of eating. By far the hardest part for both of us was giving up gluten. If you would have asked me even a year ago about giving up gluten, I would have probably said “Never!” gluten is bread, and bagels and pasta and baked goods, I can’t say goodbye to those! So the first week or so was probably the trickiest, especially when we were feeling ‘snacky’ because even most crackers were not on our new ‘diet’.

What really helped us was having a solid meal plan, I literally wrote out every breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack we would eat every day for the first month to get us into a routine. I wanted to make sure that in those ‘hangry’ moments we didn’t reach for something that we would regret. So I made sure we had meals ready to go as well as proper snacks so that there wasn’t ever an excuse. We originally wanted to do the diet for a month, just to try it out, but as we got to the end of the month and started seeing so many positive results, we decided to keep it going. This time with letting in a ‘treat’ day every Saturday for my son, so that he would have a reward for all his hard work with sticking to this diet. He mentioned his first ‘treat day’ when he was eating a splurge, Poutine, that he could barely finish it. Which was crazy for him because he is normally a bottomless pit, but after not eating food like that for so long, his body had already stopped craving it, and he said he found he didn’t feel the ‘need’ for those treat foods as much anymore. He was honestly bummed that he couldn’t finish his treat meal, but he was realizing how this way of eating was really helping him.

So how did this new diet help us? For my son, it helped him exponentially, in being more level headed, being able to control his anger and emotions, and having a more positive attitude. My husband and I noticed a difference in him after the first week, and we held our breath thinking “No….this is not actually helping is it?” I think we both didn’t really want to believe it, but it’s was undeniable, it was helping him and helping our whole family in return. It was not a ‘cure all’ for his struggles by any means, but it was a tool in him thriving, and anything that helped him thrive was a big win for us all.

For myself, I was pleasantly surprised by a lot of benefits I had from cutting gluten, dairy and sugar from my diet. The biggest one I noticed first was that I had WAY less headaches and when I did get them, they were a lot less painful and wouldn’t stick around as long. As someone who has had frequent headaches and migraines since I was a child, this was huge! Some other things I noticed was my crazy intense heartburn was gone, my monthly cycle pain started to get more manageable (sorry TMI) my head felt more clear (I could focus on things longer and wasn’t so distracted), and any bloating, puffiness/inflammation in my body had gone way down. I had more energy in general, and just not having to deal with so many headaches was amazing! I also feel like my blood sugars were evened out. I used to think I was ‘hypoglycaemic’ and would have crazy hangry moments, but since cutting these foods I haven’t felt those big low blood sugar drops, I am thinking mainly because I am fuelling my body a lot more properly with more nourishing foods. I hesitate to even write all of these things, because I feel like if I say it out loud it will stop helping me (which is completely ridiculous) but it is now mid-July and apart from a few ‘treat days’ here and there I have stuck with this diet and I hope to continue to see such positive results. Because going forward, my son and I have decided to stick with this way of eating for the forcible future.

Again, if you had asked me even half a year ago if I would eat this way I would have said NO WAY, because I thought it was too hard, and that it wouldn’t be worth it. Now that we are in the routine of it, and we know what things we can and can’t eat, it has gotten much more ‘second nature’. We eat a TON more veggies and fruits, way less junk food, and we just feel so much better in general. I think my son would agree with me that we are craving those junk foods less and less also, as we know when we eat them how they make us feel and it’s just not always worth it. I am really glad that I gave it a shot and pushed past my skepticism. We don’t know how long we will eat this way, but for now we will continue and be thankful for how it is helping us both do well in body health and mental health. I have realized that I love the philosophy of ‘eating intuitively’ which is knowing what foods your body needs and what foods it doesn’t and listening to what it wants when it wants it. Your body will usually never steer you too wrong in this way if you listen to your ‘gut’ (no pun intended) ;)

Now I can’t pretend it’s as ‘easy’ for my son to stick to this diet as it has been for me, he has had trouble many days if he see’s someone eating something he can’t have, but I try to keep the meals things he likes and things that fuel him so he’s not searching for snacks all the time, but feels full and energized. I also try to remind him WHY we are eating this way and remind him how much it is helping him, and that seems to help in those hard moments. Having the ‘treat day’ for him to look forward to has been great for him also, as he feels the reward for his hard work on those days. After all, he is a pre teen and what pre teen doesn’t LOVE pizza and ice cream and burgers? Overall I am so proud of him with how he’s stuck it out with me!

I would love to start sharing some of the recipes that have been keeping us going and that we have been enjoying the past few months, and wondering if making some ‘recipe videos’ would be fun, would you guys be interested in that? Let me know in the comment section, as I would love to start helping others if they are feeling overwhelmed by this way of eating also, but know that it will be a help to a family member that they love. Just know that you CAN do it and there are so many good and yummy options out there! Maybe a ‘what we eat in a day’ video would be helpful and interesting too, I know those are one of my fave videos to watch on youtube.

Well, I did it, I wrote about a ‘diet’ and it was a bit weird, but it needed to be shared ;) so I hope you got a little bit of good info out of it! And if you have any questions, let me know as I would love to help and share :)

stay cozy friends,

Shelley

Navigating Social Media in the world we live in today

This past October I was hunting for old pictures and videos on my computer, and there were a few that I couldn’t find, I knew where they were though….on Facebook. I had deactivated my Facebook account over 3 years ago, and had never since had the urge to open it, but I really wanted to see those photos and videos, and save them to my computer that Autumn afternoon. So, I clenched my teeth and signed back in again…hello FB. The main reason I had left facebook years ago was because at the time it was just too much. Too many opinions, too many things I needed to do, articles I needed to read, too much information and too much pressure. I also found it was just taking so much of my time and mind space, and for what? It definitely wasn’t something that was filling me back up, but actually draining me, and so it got the cut. I never looked back, I felt free without FB, and I didn’t feel like I was missing out at all. I decided to still keep Instagram to post pictures and memories on and interact with people online and so I was good to go.

Over the years I have realized that I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with social media. It can be great for so many things, it can connect you with people all over the world from different walks of life. It can be an amazing tool for our business, in sharing our photos and videos and meeting new clients. It can be a way to keep up with old friends and stay connected in some way to them even though they live far away. And of course an awesome way to store and log your pictures and memories. It can be an encouragement on lonely days, a good laugh when you really need one, a way to lift up your friends, it can be so many good things! Yet, It can also be something that can bring you down, and others around you if your not careful.

When I think back to when my husband and I first met there wasn’t anything social media available yet, the most cool thing we had on the internet was ‘MSN’ (if you remember that you have to let me know!) Even just ‘dialling in’ to connect to the internet was sometimes a 10 minute and very sketchy process (LOL) We didn’t need to ‘update our relationship status’ to ‘dating’ or ‘engaged’ and we even planned a lovely little wedding without Pinterest (skills! haha) Sometimes I really miss those days! Your probably thinking….well you don’t NEED to have social media Shelley, and your absolutely right! And my thoughts are not to say that I want to boycott it altogether (though I have definitely felt like doing that many times), because I know it is a part of the world we live in today, but what I do want to do is to learn how to use it well.

I want to use it to share joy, happiness and light. To encourage others and share God’s word and love. I want to know when to step away from it and take breaks and when I should hold my tongue. I want to know to take information in with a grain of salt, because everyone is different and God made us like that for a purpose. I don’t have to do something because someone else posts about it, we all have our different passions and convictions. With all those AD’s we see now begging us to buy everything, I don’t have to feel like I ‘need’ all these material things that I really (really) don’t need. My goal in social media is not to push my ideals on others, but to share in a simple way that glorifies the Lord, and hopefully encourages others, makes them laugh or smile, and to log precious memories for my family. My hope is that I can learn how to do this well, so that social media in the world we live in today doesn’t become something I need to boycott and leave altogether, but something that encourages me and encourages others. Here are some things I do to try and help with this…

-I keep my phone in a set spot (kitchen counter) and not in my pocket or right with me all the time.

-I have set time slots that I check instagram or facebook, that don’t drag on too long or interfere with family time, or productive time.

-I don’t bring my phone to the table or any family meal or gathering time.

-The things I say and write online are the things I would say and share about in real life, I am the same me online and in real life.

-I take breaks every once in a while, even just for a weekend, it’s good to step away (the years I stepped away from facebook was needed and such a good eye opener)

-I try to stay positive and encouraging and use social media for good

lastly…

-I know this one may sound harsh, but you don’t have to ‘follow’ those that you don’t want to, I know that sounds like a ‘no brainer’, but just because someone sends you a friend request doesn’t mean you need to accept it. Unfollowing someone who is bringing you down is ok too! Cultivate the kind of feed that encourages you.

I have found since I took that three year break from Facebook that I definitely don’t use it as much anymore, during that break it brought in good perspective of how much time I should be spending on there, and helps me keep it ‘in check’ now. I am definitely still learning and figuring out this whole social media way of life, and I think how we use it will always be evolving, but I hope this encourages you in your own journey with social media, that it can be used for good and in a non consuming way. What do you do to monitor your time on social media? I would love to hear, let me know in the comments if you have any favourite tips :)

stay cozy,

Shelley