Featured Project

Featured Project – Kelly Manweiler’s Most. Beautiful. Collaboration. with Vesna Zic-Côté

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Today we are featuring Kelly Manweiler’s project called Most. Beautiful. Collaboration. which is a play on the acronym MBC which stands for Metastatic Breast Cancer. Kelly became friends with Vesna, and together they are documenting Vesna’s life with MBC in order to raise awareness and support.

You can see more of Kelly’s’s work on her website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Lisa: What a beautiful collaboration you and Vesna have. As a friend, how do you approach telling her story? Do you try to be objective or do you embrace that personal connection you have while capturing her life?

Vesna and I met when she contacted me to create a memory quilt out of her husband’s old punk band shirts. In addition to being a photographer, I also have a small quilt making business where I make custom memory and memorial quilts. She mentioned in her inquiry that she was from Ottawa, so I looked her up to see if we were connected at all. When I did I found out that she was living with Metastatic Breast Cancer.

My wait list for quilts is around 2+ years. I didn’t know a lot about Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC), but I knew that time might not be on our side. I wrote to her, admitted that I’d creeped her on FB to see if we were connected through friends and found out she was living with MBC. I offered her an immediate spot and we started working together on the quilt soon after. The process can be pretty long, with a lot of back and forth, which gave us the chance to get to know each other.

As I got to know her I realized that she wasn’t just living with MBC, she was advocating for changes to the health care system and working to support women who live with or will one day live with MBC. She was giving talks, travelling to present her story, raising funds, all while balancing treatment, and life as a mother and wife. She’s pretty amazing. One day I mentioned that I was also a photographer and brought up the idea of collaborating on a personal project together to help her spread her story, if that was her goal. So our friendship started during the quilt making process, but has grown through the Most. Beautiful.Collaboration. When we first started working on the project, I asked her to make a list of what she wanted to share. She made a list of things from her personal life and a list from the medical MBC side of life. We work with our different schedules to try and cross off all the items on the list, which grows and changes over time. When we do a series for the project I accompany her either to some type of appointment or personal event/daily activity. I just follow her lead and document what happens as it happens to the best of my ability. I’m not a fly on the wall pretending I’m not there, that would be disingenuous. Especially during a personal series where we’re talking and hanging out. With each series of images we write what we think of when we see the photos from our unique perspectives. The photograph taking is an attempt at objective documentation, but the write up with each post is definitely subjective. It’s an important part of the project to share our very human subjective observations.

Leslie: Beautiful images and project. How has photographing this project over time changed how you approach photography in general?

I think my technical approach to photography is always changing. I’m always trying to improve and know I’ve got a lot to learn. From a personal approach, I’ve always felt really passionate about photography and the importance of documenting moments. I think there’s a lot of weight in even a simple photo, so I don’t feel like that has changed, but has become more enriched and reinforced.

Lacey: I see that most, but not all, of your photographs for this project are in black and white. What makes you decide whether an image will be black and white or in color?

I didn’t enjoy colour editing for a long time and felt much more drawn to Black and White (likely due to years of black and white darkroom love). Over the last few years though I’ve been working on colour and have become quite fond of it. Sometimes I’ll edit an image in both colour and bw and let Vesna choose, but usually I make my choice based on what it brings to the image. If colour is part of the story, or adds to in/enriches it in some way I’ll opt for it, but if it doesn’t than I’ll create a BW edit. I feel like sometimes colour can take away from the pureness of a moment or add unneeded distraction. There have been a few times where Vesna has requested an image in colour because there’s meaning for her in the colour and in those cases I’ll go back and do an alternate edit.

 

Jenny: Such a beautiful collaboration and images! There must be times where it was very difficult to photograph this story, especially as it is that of a friend. How do you remain professional in those times, or have there been times where your emotions go the best of you?

I don’t feel like there’s much of a division between professional Kelly and unprofessional Kelly. Aside from curtailing my swearing tendencies, I’m pretty much just who I am no matter who I’m with or what I’m doing. In an earlier session, where I documented Vesna doing self injections, I remember asking her if she wanted me to be a wall or a person when faced with big emotions during our project together. She said that part of the reason she wanted to work with me was because of my genuineness and that she wouldn’t want me to be any other way. So that’s how we roll. When she told me the story of the day she got her diagnosis I wept, and she wept. I don’t think it’s unprofessional to feel. I don’t think my emotions can ‘get the best of me’, I think they are the best of me. They are what allow me to sometimes see moments that others might not, to appreciate the light and dark, and to recognize how fleeting each moment is. I would never want my emotions to dominate a situation, but I don’t think they should be completely locked out.

Erika: Beyond raising awareness for MBC and telling her story outright, do you have an argument or concept that helps guide you while shooting, culling and presenting the images for this project? What do you see as being the end state for these images? Website? Book? Exhibit? Usage in collateral material for a related non profit?

My overarching goal is to do some good in the world. In this case it means helping Vesna tell her story and work toward change and understanding. The most important thing I’ve learned so far is how little I know. The statistics are frightening; what’s more frightening is how totally ignorant I was. When faced with new information I realized how many people I’d lost to MBC without even realizing it.

I go into each situation and document as I would with any other documentary session. I cull the same way too. I don’t limit myself on how many images to save from a session, but base my selections on technical quality, aesthetic, and emotion or moment. So if an image isn’t super crisp, but captures something meaningful then it stays. I share the images with Vesna and we choose our favourites for the post, write up our observations or ideas and share.

Since we began the Most. Beautiful. Collaboration. we’ve provided some of the images to help campaigns by The Ottawa Hospital’s Cancer Program, Rethink Breast Cancer, and The Pink Ribbon Project Fundraiser to raise funds and awareness. We hope to continue to help where we can. We currently share posts through my website and our various social media pages. We’ve talked about where the project will go when we’ve completed the list or if either one of us feels it’s time to morph it into something else. Two ideas we’re thinking of are creating a small exhibit and the possibility of a book down the line, but for now we’re focused on continuing with what we’ve started.

Thanks for the opportunity to share these images and Vesna’s story!

For more information about MBC, you can check Vesna’s Facebook page.

*****

Want information on how you can be a featured artist? Check out our submission page for all the details.

Featured Project – Ade Oshodi

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Ade Oshodi is a stay at home dad during the week and a wedding photographer on the weekend. He’s spent the past two years documenting his daughter’s life and has turned it into a long term project about telling the story of her growing up.

You can see more of Ade’s work on his website and Instagram.

Erika: What have you learned about yourself/humanity/your daughter as a part of shooting this project? And which of the images submitted is your favorite and why?

Toddlers are honest in their interactions with the world. For the most part, the dramaturgical presentation of self is not presented for others but solely for them.  Authenticity is central to their character and it is for this quality what makes her most interesting to me. Two months before Asha was born, my father was dying and I documented him on his death bed along with my mother and siblings interactions with him. What I learned from both situations is that in the beginning and the ending of lives, humans are most vulnerable.

Authenticity gives way to vulnerability and vice versa, when those two qualities are presented in photographs, they transcend the human condition; it connects us with each other.  This particular project and the types of photographs I like to make in general have taught me to present my authentic self: the desirable and not so desirable parts to the world in hopes of reciprocation for those I am photograph.

Which leads to the image I like the most from this collection; my favorite image is of Asha reaching for is a hard copy of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s essay “We should all be Feminist.”  I fancy this particular photograph because I agree with the premise of the essay; the image probably says more about me than it does about her.

Heather: What made you decide to shoot them all in black and white? Such great connections you have captured between your daughter and those around her.

 It is strange because I believe that I see in two extremes or better said I like my photographs to have strong shadows and contrast for black and white images and strong contrasting colors for color photographs, anything in the middle don’t interest me as much. For this particular project I like black and white because I believe that it forces me to produce stronger images that read well to the eye.  Also, I like the uniformity of black and white throughout this project.

Meg: I’m noticing the angle you’re shooting a good majority of these are from higher up, as opposed to being on her level. Is there intention behind that, and if so, what makes you choose that angle to shoot from?

I am as stay at home dad on the weekdays and a photographer in business on the weekends, so most of the photographs of Asha are made while parenting.  I wish there was some great aesthetic choice on why I shoot from high or some highly introspective answer like: “my subconscious is telling me that I am the parent, so I should be shooting from a position of authority.” The truth is that my toddler is rambunctious and spirited: busy, running, climbing, exploring, and investigating but she spends a great deal of her time in the house.

In addition, when she and I go out to run errands, most of the time, she goes from the car seat to the stroller or from the car seat to shopping cart. The notion of being confined strongly aggravates her because it is contrary to her spirited personality. As a result, when any door before her is opened or she is not confined in anyway, she runs freely and that means she is running into a parking lot, a street and or climbing in and out of sinks and toilets. So I stay on my feet in order to make photographs and parent at the same time.

Michelle: My favorites are the ones of your daughter outside of the home engaging with, what looks like, strangers. How do you find those strangers react when you go to shoot a photo of them interacting with your daughter? Have you had anyone protest or say no or has it broken the moment you’re trying to capture as they become aware of your camera? Very curious to find out how you approach this.

The camera and a little girl give me access into people’s lives that I wouldn’t regularly be allowed into without question, if only for a moment. There is an image of Asha about to kiss a strange lady; this particular image was taken at an airport in Hong Kong. Part of my process of photographing Asha with strangers is that I let her lead when we are in public places and I follow closely from behind with my camera held against my chest. This is first based on the notion that I never want her to be afraid of strangers, so I all her to freely interact with them under my watch. In my head, I have already written and signed a social contract with adult strangers; which states “if you are going to talk to, play with or she is going to walk into your vicinity you are going to be photographed.” So I photograph her and them without asking their permission.  After the photographic moment expires I quickly assess the situation, if they appear like the need an explanation I give a brief one and move on, for the most part in those situations I don’t have to, a smile suffices.

On the other hand, when she is about to interact with children as I am approaching, if the parents are looking at me or her I raise my camera and nod my head as to ask for permission.  Whether, I get that confirmatory-nod or not I make photographs and then explain if needed. Within the last two years surprisingly, I haven’t had any protest from adults. The only ones who seem to break the moments by being camera aware are other children.

Robin: What is one photography skill you are interested in learning or mastering this year?

Within the context of this project I am emotionally tied to the subject, so sometimes my first reaction is to be in awe as she is doing something clever and I get lost in the moment while photographing. This presents a problem for my compositions because I take my eyes off the edges of my frame and background. I believe the answers to this problem is simple in theory i.e. disconnect form the subject I am emotionally invested in; in practice, it’s not easy to disconnect from my child.

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Want information on how you can be a featured artist? Check out our submission page for all the details.

 

Featured Project – Aleks Gajdeczka: #DADLIFE

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Aleks Gajdeczka has plenty of childhood photos featuring her mom, but she only has two photos of her with her dad when she was young because he was the family photographer. She said “my dad was like a mythical being in our albums and boxes. Because of this, I have no memory of what it was like, being with him as a young child.” That led Aleks to start her #dadlife project after having her own children, so they would have photographic evidence of what life with their dad was like throughout their childhood.

You can find more of Aleks’ work at her website, Facebook, and Instagram. Here is what she had to say to our contributors about her project:

Leslie: Smiling from ear-to-ear over this series. I’m a big fan of #dadlife photos as well because my husband stays home with our children. How does your husband feel about being the focus of this project?

You know, it’s funny – I’ve never actually asked him how he feels about it. From long before the children were in the picture, he’s been a muse of mine. I mean, damn — he’s gorgeous, right? Over the years he’s grown so accustomed to me making photos featuring him, so for months he didn’t realize I was on to an actual project. I surprised him with the initial set of #dadlife images bound in a small paperback book for his birthday this year. He was pretty moved.

Has it inspired him to take more photos of you parenting your kids?

I think because I’m a professional with so much technical knowledge and practice at this point, he finds picking up my camera intimidating. But he does do it from time to time, and I know he’s thinking of #dadlife when he does. A while back he actually asked me for a quick tutorial on setting exposure and focus, so that he can now semi-competently and with some accuracy make a photo with me in it. I’m thankful for that.

Do you fear, that you will create a similar situation that you had with your dad not being in any of the photos because you are predominately behind the camera?

Isn’t this every mother/photographer’s fear? I do my best to get in the frame when I can – either through self-portraits or by setting my camera up for my husband (or a friend, parent, stranger, whoever) and asking them to click the shutter. I’ve become bolder with this over the years, because I know I want to be in the proverbial memory box when my children are grown. I’m actually about to do a Day-in-the-Life session trade with a favorite semi-local photographer of mine, and you better believe I’m going to ask her to keep me and my relationship with the children in focus to the extent it’s possible, since I don’t get the opportunity as much. I couldn’t be more excited to experience the other side of the coin.

Chrystal: I love that you are doing this with a specific theme in mind. Do you do self portraits too for a mom version?

I’m so glad you asked this. My first personal project – and my absolute favorite to date – is a self-portrait series called Babies & Bourbon: You Can’t Mom Alone (https://aleks-gajdeczka.com/babies-bourbon). It’s a semi-humorous view into my experience parenting two young children, who (for better or worse) are as oppressively present at every moment as they are totally adorable. This project, and the introspection that went along with its birth, changed the trajectory of my life in more than one way.

Also your composition and movement are incredible! What artists or classes have given you inspiration?

Bar none, the most life-changing class I’ve taken was one called Storymaking with Meredith Novario, over at CM. It challenged me to think about the motivations that drive me to make photos, and find the sweet-spot intersection between how I see the world, how I want the world to see me, how I see myself, and the story I’d like to tell. Once I got through all of this thinking, I came out the other end a family documentary photographer hellbent on helping my clients appreciate and feel pride in the funny, ridiculous, unpredictable, and humble nature of every day life with kids. Meredith has since retired the class, which is a real loss for the rest of y’all.

I’ve picked up some solid technical skills from Kirsten Lewis, and have drawn much inspiration over the years from greats such as Sally Mann, Elliott Erwit, and Henri Cartier-Bresson, as well as contemporary artists like Martin Parr, Nikki Boon and Justyna Mielnikiewicz. I’m drawn to the work of artists who aren’t afraid to make a busy, complex photo, and ones who have a bold message to deliver through their work and just don’t give a f*** what anybody else thinks.

Heather: You have completely inspired me to take more pictures of my husband! These are all incredible. Do you have any tips on finding the humor in a moment and capturing it?

Breakfast beer? Just kidding, kind of. Parenting is nothing if not humbling, and being able to relax and roll with the ridiculous predicaments my children put me in has made me a happier, better person. First, keeping a camera handy and set to “average” exposure settings, plus pushing yourself to shoot your everyday life daily – or at least, say, every weekend – can go a long way. Some of these photos were made with some foresight – but most were created thanks to me always having my camera in my purse, on the kitchen counter, or in the car with me. Second, I’d say that giving yourself permission to allow children (and – let’s face it, husbands) to make strange choices that may result in mess or tears, can put you in the front-row observer’s seat for some of the most hysterical scenes as they unfold. That’s been a big one for me. And third, when you know what’s important to you – and what you want to preserve – it’s easier to notice quickly when it’s revealing itself. Once I had my husband in my head as father/muse, I began to constantly see his incredible, tender, gentle, and funny interactions with our children, which made photographing for the project easier. Seeing begets seeing.

Aniya: Ok, I am BLOWN away by your work and utterly in awe of this project. Your framing is superb, layering is incredible and your ability to get such stories in one image is fantastic. Are you shooting the #dadlife project everyday? If not, how often?  Is it a discipled project, or do you photograph only when you are drawn to a moment?

Oh gosh, I wish I could shoot this project every day. Sometimes (when we’re on a family trip together) I do keep this project in mind throughout the day, and find opportunities to shoot something for it often. At home when we’re in the grind of our routines, days – sometimes weeks – will go by with nothing new. I seek out opportunities to add a piece to the story that doesn’t already exist in the collection. There are elements of his relationship with the kids that I’d like to highlight in the project, but it just hasn’t come together yet. I always pay attention with heightened awareness when those scenes are unfolding in our life, to see if I might be able to make a photo for the project. It’s fun thinking of it as a someday-to-be complete story of what a rockstar dad my heartthrob husband was when our children were little.

If you are in business, do you feel the same sort of freedom to photograph your clients in the same way you do with your family? 

I really do, and I feel so lucky for that. I am a documentary family photographer, and one of my goals is always to have this kind of access to my client families. And for the most part, I’ve been blessed with clients who are willing to let me in – all the way in – and allow me to photograph the most intimate corners of their family life. I love doing this for them. And I like to think that by showcasing my own personal life with such vulnerability (through #dadlife and my corresponding motherhood self portraits project, Babies & Bourbon), it will inspire my prospective clients to want the same for their own family sessions.

Erika: What is your end goal, if you have one for this project? Exhibit? Book? Personal enjoyment? And how does that end goal impact how you shoot and curate this project?

I’ve always thought of this project as a visual love letter to my husband, where I get to show him how deeply I admire and appreciate the incredible person that he is, the dynamic relationships he has forged with these two wild blond kids, and how much they adore him in return. That’s my goal. I had an early iteration of the project printed into a book for his birthday this year, but I hope to keep the project going for many years to come, perhaps adding books to a shelf as we go. In the long run, I’d love to publish them all together for him and the children when they’re up and grown.

But also, I often think about how every parent-child relationship is both unique and, at the same time, full of totally relatable elements and situations. This grand journey of parenting young kids is as universal as it is individual. I hope that other parents, in seeing my project, can imagine their own families in these scenes. I’ve occasionally considered expanding the project to include stories from client dads and their children, and putting together an anthology chronicling the fatherhood experience as seen through my lens. But knowing me, that’s a long, long way off.

*****

Want information on how you can be a featured artist? Check out our submission page for all the details.

Featured Project – Kristi Burton’s Lemonade Stands

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Last summer Kristi Burton, a documentary photographer in Utah with a love for personal projects, documented 18 different lemonade stands in her area. You can find more of her work at her website, Facebook, and Instagram. Here is what she had to say to our contributors about her project:

Heather: What a fascinating project. What made you decide to do a special project of shooting lemonade stands? How did you find all of them? 

Thank you. I’ve seen some pretty creative lemonade stands and one day, I just got an epiphany that it would be a great project. One of the first Saturdays of the summer I decided to drive around and see how many stands I could find. I ended up finding 6 in about an hour and a half. It was such a blast and a great start to the project. Also, I told my friends who have kids that I was planning to do it so they gave me a heads up before doing one.

Aniya: I absolutely LOVE this project! How did the parent of the children react to you letting them photograph their children? Did you go through the model release and all of the formalities to photograph this project?

Thank you. It was actually pretty funny when I approached the parents. When I asked if they were the parent/guardian of the kids at the lemonade stand, they often got this wide-eyed look as if they thought their kids had done something bad to the lemonade. I enjoyed seeing the relief on their faces after I told them what I was doing. Nobody turned me away and I didn’t have any problems getting them to sign a release.

Felicia : Do you often photograph in B&W? I love that it gives such a sense of nostalgia and timelessness to this series but I am curious how you see your images and their stories, and if colour is ever a consideration?

For these kinds of projects, I tend to like them better in black and white. Yes, it creates a sense of nostalgia and timelessness which I was going for. I didn’t want to distract from the subjects and their lemonade stands and color would have done that for certain images, but other images look great in color too.

Leslie: Love that you have a passion for personal projects. How many have you done so far? What’s been your favorite project to date?

Thanks. Yeah I love them. I’ve done about five major projects. My favorites are the most recent two, the lemonade stands and the one before that was couples who have been married 40 years or more holding their wedding portrait. Really enjoyable as well.

Lisa: How do your personal projects influence your client work?

My projects give me a chance to show my voice as an artist so that clients know what I love to do and hire me more for my specific style.

Jessica: Is there something you’d like to try stylistically that you haven’t yet- or some subject you’d like to photograph that you haven’t yet?

Usually when I do home documentary sessions, I do them of families with young kids. I think it would be fun to do one with teens or young adults.

*****

Want information on how you can be a featured artist? Check out our submission page for all the details.

Feature Project – Stacey Ilyse’s 365

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Today we are featuring Stacey Ilyse. She’s been shooting documentary style photography for several years and took on a 365 project (one picture a day for a year) in December of 2016 to document more of her family. You can see more of Stacey’s work on her website, Facebook, and Instagram. Here is what she had to say to our contributors:

Aniya: I absolutely love your work – been following you for ages. I find that we tend to get in a box – “what kind of photographer are you?” And we often times feel compelled to define our work – portrait photographers, vs fine art photographers, documentary, and the list goes on. Do you define yourself as a documentary photographer who also makes amazing portraits? (Love the portrait of your daughter!) Or do you prefer not to define yourself as a “x” photographer? Why or why not?

I think at this point I’m gonna go with “fine art documentary photographer”. Why…? I aspire to create beauty and art within the moments I capture not JUST documenting them, but I’m also not the type of photographer that completely creates the scene. I like to see things unfold as honestly as possible. I think straight up documentary photography is kick ass and sometimes that is all it is that day – just documenting it for what it is. But for me, I’m looking to move past JUST THE MOMENT. I want (as often as possible) for the moment to feel artful, too. That happens for me when I consider the light, the moment, sometimes the lens, the location, the editing choices I make, etc.

Leslie: Beautiful work, Stacey, I’ve been following you for some time and enjoy seeing both your client and personal work. I’m surprised that since you have been shooting so long that this is your first 365. Was there a reason behind this decision? Why this year?

In 2015 I made a commitment to myself to take out my camera more often and capture more images of my girls and our lives, to put myself in front of the lens more often and be more intentional with what I was shooting – while also pushed myself to capture my girls as they were. I felt I had done that pretty well. Some days/weeks more than others, but I had my camera handy and took it out fairly often. Then last year (2016) I told myself I would do a monthly DITL. About 6 months in, I lost interest, work got so hectic, and so on. Especially with learning and adding video services to my business. I found myself at the end of a long and super busy fall season with actually VERY little personal photographs to speak of. I was so burnt out from it all, and I was truly disappointed in myself. Not only did I fail to follow through with my monthly DITL, but I stopped taking photos of my family altogether. I decided on Dec 23rd to just DO IT. I wanted a goal to keep me going – and to make the effort even during a hectic time in my business life to still remember my family. So I made the commitment to take on the challenge. I picked up the camera and took my first shot – of my younger daughter, CRYING in her christmas jammies. It felt appropriate to start with that one. 🙂

Jessica: I love how you see humorous and poignant moments and also have a very strong sense of light. What do you consider your strengths and weaknesses as a photographer and are they different for your personal vs client work?

I’ve never been afraid of high ISO’s, slow shutters, trying new things, epic failures when trying something new, laying down in the dirt, jumping in the puddles and more. Before I started this project I think my biggest weakness was that I was convinced that I COULD NOT engage with my subjects – that it had to be 100% all natural – or nothing at all – but FOR ME that does not work! I find that my own children NEED me to engage with them – I’m their mother, not a fly on the wall! I found that it worked best when I got a good mix – sometimes I let the scene happen as it’s playing out, other times I laugh with them at the kitchen table – with my camera next to me ready to go. Some days I ask them to do it again partly because it was something I wanted to remember and partly because I saw the joy in their faces, so I knew it was an easy sell to get that shot.

Before I changed my mindset I used to feel like I was to running around like a chicken with my head cut off – worrying about “missing a moment” and getting disappointed when I felt it fell flat. The reality of it is this, there will ALWAYS be another moment, and MOST kids (or at least mine) don’t mind us making them laugh, they usually like “doing it again”, or they are to wrapped up in their own moment to notice and so on. Thinking this way gave me permission to slow down, take my time, get it right, enjoy the moment both with my girls and with my camera too!

With my clients I do my best to find that happy balance between getting interesting, authentic images but also ones that I think would speak to the parents too. So while I love me a good toddler crying or find humor in a good spat over a toy and I certainly don’t shy away from documenting it. I also work hard to show the flip side to that child’s personality. I would love to think my clients would be as open with me as my own family, but I think that is hard for MOST people on some level. And that is ok. They are entitled to want privacy, and I respect that. You can’t document EVERY.SINGLE.THING. but you will get the things that ultimately matter the most in the end.

Jenny: I love your work Stacey! And I love that you have included some beautiful portraits as well as documentary work in your submission. Do you only do documentary work for your clients or do you also offer portraiture, fine art portraits, etc?

I ALWAYS love to do portraits for my clients – whether they are individual images, just siblings, or the entire family altogether. I think it is SO important to have both. I love remembering the moment, movement, the overall scene – BUT I still think it is nice to remember how some looks, their features, their expressions, etc. It is kinda amazing to see a portrait of my girls from the start of the year and even 1/2 way through how they have changed! The same holds true for a client! I work hard to encourage my clients to see past the perfect smiling portrait – educating them that it is OK to look beyond that.

Robin: Has your personal 365 project changed or influenced how you document other families for work?

It 110% influenced how I document other families. I’m far more willing to play with light or take chances now with my clients images then I was before. I think I played it safe, afraid that if I shot the way I wanted it would not be welcomed. Now I try and to channel my 365 mindset into my client work. I also feel that by consistently sharing the work I do of my own family has given my clients a clear indication as to how I will shoot their families if they are willing to just let go, have fun, and be themselves!

Heather: I love the humor in your images. I know you just started your 365 but have you run into any slumps? If so how did you push past them?

Yes, some days I think, I’m SO F-ING TIRED. So, maybe the image I take that day is not that fantabulous – but I just do it anyways. I found that when I’ve started to feel a slump coming on – I think of something new to do with it. I give that day a purpose. I decide today is a details only day and only shoot the small, often missed over details of our lives. Or I’ll pull out my lensbaby and shoot with that. I’ll set out on an adventure with my girls and make a point to do it with camera in hand. Maybe I’ll make a point to capture dinner with my mom or take a portrait of my husband instead. I put the power in my hands because we ALL lead lives that are a bit redundant and mundane, but it is up to us to find the beauty in it and create something unique from each day.

*****

Want information on how you can be a featured artist? Check out our submission page for all the details.