kids in large sink bath - documentary family photography

Featured Artist – Marine Poron

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Today we are featuring Marine Poron from Paris, France.  She is a mother of 2 and photographs families.  In her own words, “I photograph families like mine, looking for that unique link between each member. What moves me ? Love, of course! I’m addicted to emotions, I like the laughter, the tears of joy, and the impression they leave in our hearts. I love family albums, how they trace our history and define us. That is why I really think it’s important to keep beautiful images of the highlights of our lives.”  Below is a little more information about Marine and how she works alongside some of her beautiful images.  You can catch up with Marine on the internet at her website, on Facebook, and Instagram.

kids in large sink bath - documentary family photography

How is the landscape photography in France different from what you know of the U.S.? Are there as many photographers? Is documentary photography more widespread / mainstream out there? How do you think people’s attitudes to being photographed might be different due to cultural differences?

Yes there are many photographers in France, and the offer is very varied. Nevertheless, I do not think the tradition of being photographed is as widespread as in USA.

Generally, people hire a photographer for the first time on the occasion of their wedding or the 1st child. I think in the minds of french people, Family photography remains the “family portrait” by excellence: studio photo or posed photography. Documentary practice in this context is very little known. The wedding reportage is well known, and a must if bride and groom are looking for a genuine and candid approach of wedding photography,. Lifestyle couple or family session are also frequent but real documentary approach is confidentiel. This approach is the form of photojournalism. It is for newspapers and news broadcasts, people didn’t imagine applying it to family or couple photography. Most people document themselves, their daily lives, and will not think to call a professional photographer for this. We are in the early development of this type of practice.

Also, maybe this is a cultural differences, the fact of being photographed or be the center of attention, is not in the habit. We have not a self esteem culture (maybe it’s changing with the younger generation), more a sort of self restraint. Also, I think that the intimate space is more protected than it seems to be in US, and we (wedding and family photographers) often have display restrictions by customers who do not want to see their pictures in public places. Display (blog, book, social network, etc.) of our images is not automatic. We have a strong legislation about that.

child outside in underwear - documentary family photography

You capture beautiful pictures in your body language! Do you find customers drawn to the pictures that might not showcase each persons face, aim rather body language, or do you find the need to explain why you include some images?

Thank you! I do not have much problem on that side. Although the French are looking on respect for their private lives, they are less on mastering their image. My clients are not looking for “pretty pictures” or being magnified by the pictures, it’s another art of photography and I have many colleagues who do that very well.

What my clients are looking for is the expression of family love, the strength of connections between family members, small details of everyday life that characterize them, real family life … I like to remind my clients if necessary, what they feel when they look at a picture of a very dear person : Are they seeing the untidy hair, a few extra pounds, mismatched clothes etc. No! They see the person they love and all the tenderness of the beloved. I think when a picture is strong enough, it makes sense and it tells a story, there is no discussion with the person.

family on bed while child puts doll in carrier - documentary family photography

Layering appears to be a common theme in your work. Is that something you do instinctively from your days as a photojournalist or are you making the decision to add depth by layering your subjects in the frame?

Yes, it’s true. I like overlay planes, not all my images but many. It is a way of telling a story in a single image, comparing different informations, sometimes adding humor, contrast. Yes, you’re right actually, I think I try to answer the 5W (What Who Where When Why) Yes, it probably comes from my training of photojournalism.

father makes face while he feeds baby - documentary family photography

What other artists or journalists would you list as personal influences?

I have many inspirations , photographer, painters, artists, writers or filmmakers, people who touch me for many different reasons (creativity, storytelling, strong composition, poetry etc.), for example :

William Klein, Koudelka, Cartier Bresson, Brassaï, Mary Ellen Mark … painters Fra Angelico, classical Italian painting, Modigliani, contemporary artists: Cindy Sherman, Sophie Calle, JR. I like Jim Jarmusch and Pedro Almodovar films, I enjoy reading …

mom holds baby while girl watches on - documentary family photography

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

I gave myself the following objectives: to focus on simple images, frontal work around natural light, make it a strong element of my images, working with joy and fun, always.

girl waters plants - documentary family photography

dining room window - Documentary Family Photography

Featured Project – Thomas Maxwell; FADED

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We were fairly bowled over when we opened this submission from Thomas Maxwell, a photojournalism student at Southampton Solent University.  The project itself is not only an emotional 1 -2 punch with universal themes but also explores those sometimes gray ethical areas one must navigate when deciding to document their own family.  Thomas really explained it all best in his initial description of the project,

“My Grandmother is in the later stages of Alzheimer’s, and my Grandfather is in the late stages of Parkinson’s. For me, this project offers more than photographs, and is my own therapy for dealing with the situation. The project covers not just images taken by myself, but also physical objects owned by my grandparents with an emotion link, as well as old family photographs to create a realistic, and emotional insight into dealing with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The project questions the extend of privacy for a photographer, and a new approach of hidden meanings, by using a personal understanding to give further meaning to the image, often using memories as the captions. The images taken support a balance between life and death, the peace in between of a progressive disease, which many believe destroys who you are as a person, but still being alive, and together combines the two diseases with multiple techniques as a tribute to my own family on a personal level, but also to raise awareness of these inner diseases, and to question traditional photographical understanding.”

Below is a bit more information from Thomas about this project and his process.  You can see more of Thomas’s work on his Facebook page.  And if you would like a little more information on either Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s we encourage you to visit the following websites:

Alzheimer’s Association
Parkinson’s Disease Foundation 

snapshot of grandparents with grandchild - Documentary Family Photography

What, if any, do you see as your final vision for this project? Is it something you’d want to compile into a book with more text and context or something you’d rather have displayed in a gallery where it can be a bit more open to interpretation from viewers?

I think if I had the opportunity I would compile the project into a book. One thing I have always kept In mind is that this project works on a personal and emotion scale. My personal opinion is if it was going to be a book, I would display it as more of a journal/memoirs as well as a photobook, including not just photographs of my grandparents but postcards, day out trips, old images, things that help strike an emotion for people. The book itself would be a journey from pre-diagnosis to the very end, and that’s something I would strike up in an exhibition as well. I was shown at college the famous American Photographer William Christenberry’s exhibition ‘Calendar Wall’, in which Christenberry would display months from his father’s annual calendar to show his father’s physical and mental decline. I think that the exhibition should include all aspects of the project, not just images on a wall as many after exhibitions do.

aged portraits of grandmother and grandfather - Documentary Family Photographygrandparents bedroom - Documentary Family Photography

Tell me a bit about your decision to shoot this project on film. Have you found that element of this project particularly challenging with regard to sticking with a single film stock but shooting in a variety of lighting situations?

Well actually when I first started the concept of the project, I shot digital! I had to do a short project for an assignment for my first year of college back in 2014. I took around 10 images for it and handed it in. At the beginning of 2015 I was introduced to medium format and instantly fell in love with the detail of the images I was taking just around of random images. With an assignment coming up on alternative photography, I looked at the re-emergence of analogue photography, and after speaking to my lecturers, I went back and photographed my Grandparents with the Mamiya RB67 and that’s how the project started. It was difficult for me to begin with to adapt to the medium format camera instead of my DSLR. I started this project at the same time that I started to use analogue photography, and over time I started to learn more about being patient with my images (medium format being 10 images per roll usually), and I am fortunate in the fact that my Grandparents house has very open rooms with large windows, so I was able to adapt to the different lighting techniques. However I had always struggled to photograph in the evening at the house, and would often find images highly underexposed. But that’s when I came across the work of Paul Graham’s American Nights, where he uses exposure to show racial segregation in America, and it got me to start experimenting with using the under-exposed images to symbolise, in this scenario, memory loss within Alzheimer’s, the idea of a person fading from memory.

broken patio swing - Documentary Family Photographygrandfather with grandchild - Documentary Family Photography

These images provoke feeling in the viewer who is an outsider. For you it must be a very emotional journey, do you find yourself selecting images based on emotion or on technical merit? Or is it a combination of the two?

As a photographer, you always want to show off your best shots, like any other profession in terms of ability. There is that aspect of my process in which I compare certain images in terms of technical ability, aperture, motion blur and composition to name a few. But on the other hand, for me this project is still a personal journey. As a student, I am still learning new skills within photography, and developing myself with my work. I uphold that a lot of these images are powerful not necessarily because of their technical ability maybe, but the stories behind them. I was taught very early on in my college course that a ‘good’ image is not always one that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I guess, that over time I have come to appreciate the story aspect of photography, particularly in this project which is full of them. So in terms of selection, I guess it’s a combination of the two.

garden shed - Documentary Family Photographyelderly man and woman do yard work -Documentary Family Photography

How does the therapeutic aspect of the process, or the honouring of your grandparent’s story guide how and what you choose to document?

One of the things I first noticed after my Grandparents were diagnosed with their illnesses, was the changed they’d face in their daily lives. My Grandfather being a fan of the outdoors, but struggling with the movement problems with Parkinson’s, and my Grandmother being a great cook and an avid gardener, but her memory issues that come with Alzheimer’s have stopped her from doing that. I guess that aspect helps direct me in what to photograph, but I think its all about finding a balance with what I document. I don’t want it to be too horrible to show hopelessness, so photograph things they can do, like my Grandma playing tennis, as one example. But I also didn’t want it to be too happy, I still wanted to show that reality they live in in which their lives have changed a significant amount. When I photograph them, I still have respect for what they want. As a photographer, the big question that comes up with projects like this is the wider ethical question of ‘what you can photograph and what you can’t’ and I guess being close with my Grandparents I have learnt to find that balance, especially has they start to decline over time.

dining room at night - Documentary Family Photography

Did you consult with other members of your family (mum and dad etc….) before starting this project to gain their approval and are they involved in any way?

From the beginning I did understand it was going to be an emotional time for the family, especially my parents. With any photographs I took, I always asked permission from my parents, or at least let them know in advance when I was going to go to my grandparent’s house to photograph. My family have always been supportive of the project, it’s a chance to promote Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, to show people what can happen and hopefully improve people’s understandings as well as push for treatments. I include my family in some aspects of the project, for example for an assignment for university, I created a short documentary piece in which my siblings spoke about their first experiences of my grandparents, happiest memory and what they know of the diseases.

dining room window - Documentary Family Photography

How has your personal experience with this project affected your studies in photojournalism or changed your perspective on what you have learned so far? How has this process changed you?

The major thing I guess that I have learnt since this project started was the appreciation for the story behind an image. A lot of the work I had seen before I started this project were of images, where the story was clear in the images, either the subject in the image or objects in the image have a link with the project title or brief description. Through researching the project, looking at photographers like William Christenberry and by taking my own photographs, I have since realised that sometimes the beauty of the image can be found by hidden messages within the photographs. Images like the one of the dining room with the window in the background has hidden meanings, the hedge symbolising isolation from the wider world, and the out-of-focused pictures on the window sill symbolise the slow decline, with the loss of memory of loved ones. I have also learnt that capturing the image doesn’t always need to be with an expensive camera. For much of the work, I have been photographing on a Mamiya RB67, a big medium format camera with high detail in every image. However as my Grandmother for example doesn’t remember me anymore, getting such a big camera in and photographing her with it would just cause distress and chaos, trust me, I have tried. I have now started to use my phone a lot more, me, being a 20 year old student, I am always on my phone, and despite her loss of memory, it is a common sight. This way, I was still able to take images and still be candid, so I think I have learnt that as a photographer, you should be able to adapt to changes, in this case, a change in equipment.

grandparents take a break from hiking - Documentary Family Photography

To learn how to apply to be featured please visit our SUBMISSIONS page!

kids throw fit on couch - Documentary Family Photography

Featured Artist – Toni Pullum

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Today we are featuring artist Toni Pullum from Hood River, Oregon.  She is a wife, mother, and primarily self-taught documentary family photographer.  What struck us most about her submission was her ability to see and capture the small, daily struggles of growing up and parenting.  You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, or at www.tonipullum.com. Here is what she had to say about her work:

tired father waiting in line - Documentary Family Photography

Do you find it hard to be photographer and mom at the same time and how do you balance both?

Absolutely!  I’m pretty sure my attempt at finding that balance is one of the most challenging things I have ever tried to do and I have encountered many challenges in my life.  I definitely don’t have it figured out for sure, but I will say that having a supportive husband has helped tremendously.  One of my 2016 resolutions was actually to stop carrying my camera with me everywhere (I know this is completely opposite of the common advise you hear from photographers!)  The problem I ran into after about 3 years of obsessively shooting everything was that I was completely burnt out, uninspired, and pretty down on myself.  I wasn’t happy with my images, my family was tired of only seeing me behind my lens, and I was honestly second guessing whether I wanted to continue pursuing photography.  Taking a break to recharge was one of the best decisions I made.  When I picked up my camera again right before the holidays, I decided that I was going to stop doing free sessions that I didn’t want to do “just for practice”, I wasn’t going to document EVERYTHING for everyone just because we were related or friends, and I was simply going to do the type of work that I loved doing.  Period.  Making this decision and sticking with it, has so far made 2016 much more manageable.  My house is a little cleaner, my family is less annoyed with me and I don’t feel so much pressure from everyone else that “wants to see the photos I made at such and such event, party, etc”.

boy with spilled ice cream - Documentary Family PhotographyWhat is the best tip you’ve gotten or learnt when it comes to documentary photography?

Oh man, there are just so many tips.  Ha.  It’s really hard to choose.  I think one of the most important things you need to be successful with documentary work or photography in general is #1: patience & determination, #2: you need to know how to use your camera and light really really well.  I tend to gravitate towards kids in my documentary work and they are so dang fast and you really do not have time to be fiddling with your settings and taking a bunch of practice shots.  You should just “know” what settings you need to get the results you want and you need to understand the light you have in that moment, so that you can quickly adjust your settings without missing the shot.  I think this is where that advice comes in with “carrying your camera with you everywhere”.  I don’t disagree with it, I just think it should be amended to say “it’s not a race, so don’t be afraid to take a break every once in a while too”.

father holds child by ankle - Documentary Family Photography

Who would you identify as artistic influences for your work?

Kirsten Lewis for sure, I took her 1st Family Storytelling class on Creative Live last year and that class is what inspired me to dedicate myself to documentary family work.

Alain Laboile, I first heard of him through Kirsten and I just find his work amazing.  If a photographer’s work can make me laugh, I love them.  Alain’s work not only cracks me up, it also leaves me in awe.

Susan Stripling, I just love her use of natural light.  Anyone who wants to understand “using the light you got” should check out her case studies on creative live.  Seriously.

Johanna Hood and Katie Forbis.  I’ve connected with both of these ladies through the VSCO facebook group and I just absolutely love how they document their families.  Both of them have a fantastic eye for light, composition, and moment.

kids throw fit on couch - Documentary Family PhotographyWhat have you found to be the most challenging thing when moving from shooting your own family to shooting other families? And when shooting for clients do you prefer working a full day in the life, half day in the life, or a shorter time span?

I actually find shooting other families easier than my own to be honest.  When I pull out my camera at home, I swear everyone starts running the other direction and they almost always stop doing whatever it was that caught my eye in the first place.  I’m afraid I’ve ruined them all.  Ha.  I will say that when I’m shooting my own family, I tend to have more control of the environment in the sense that I am usually the one interacting.  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t walk over to a room with great light, knowing full well that my son would follow me, whereas with a client session, that family is in full control of what they are doing and I do not try to guide no matter how subtle.  😉  As for the lengths of sessions, if I didn’t have my son, I’d love to shoot a 24 hour day in the life but it’s just not very realistic.  He needs his mama.  So, for now I’m pretty happy with offering 6-8 hour sessions.  I feel it gives me enough time to really get to know the family enough that they will give me the access I need to capture great moments.

kids wait impatiently for dinner - Documentary Family Photography

How do you decide whether to change a photo to black and white or to leave it in color?

This is such a great question.  I really love B&W.  It has such a classic feel to it.  That being said, it doesn’t take a whole lot to push me in the direction of B&W.  Basically for me, I look for a reason to keep the photo in color.  Unless the colors in the photo really help tell the story or there is a color combination or pattern that will help hold the viewers’ attention, I generally go into an edit expecting to convert the photo to B&W.  My biggest goal with any edit is to make sure that the colors will enhance the aesthetic without distracting from the moment being captured.  I will not keep a photo in color if the colors are distracting or just generally unpleasing to the eye.  In all the B&W photos, I chose B&W mainly because there really wasn’t a reason to keep them in color.  I hope this makes sense

boy in messy room

Featured Project – Courtney Zimmerman and her 24mm

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Last year Courtney Zimmerman of Carrying Wonder bought her dream lens, the Canon L Series 24mm 1.4.  Not only that, but she sold all of her other lenses and made a commitment to not purchase any other lenses for a year so that she could learn to master the 24mm focal length. Can you say gutsy?  Here is what Courtney has to say about her One Year, One Lens project. You can also check out her work on her site, facebook, and instagram.

children in jeep on African Plains

Please, introduce yourself and let us get to know you. Also, tell us about your journey as a photographer.

So I’m Courtney! I’m an introverted homeschooling mother of four, which means I never get enough alone time. I have two biological and two adopted kids, and they were all made in Uganda–I’ll let you figure that one out! My husband is a digital designer, and he loves what he does, and that makes me really happy. We currently live in southern Oregon in a straw bale home in the middle of nowhere, and I like it 5 days out of 7. I like ideas, and I despise folding laundry. I’m a recovering control freak. Story is my “thing,” and it has been for as long as I can remember.

My journey as a photographer started as a young girl obsessed with my own baby books. My parents divorced before I was 6, and I felt like the pictures in those baby books connected me to parts of my story that were unimaginable to me. That connection didn’t necessarily make me happy or sad, but it felt important. In college I ended up minoring in photography. I wasn’t very good, but the dark room was like my therapy. College was a very dark time in my life, and the dark room became a safe place to process not just pictures but life. That probably sounds deeper than it really was. The point is that I fell in love with the photographic experience and process even though I wasn’t very good at the art.

A couple years after college, my husband and I moved to Uganda, where we would spend the next 6 years of our lives serving with an orphan ministry. We started a family there. I took pictures, but there was no “why” behind my photographs. I deeply regret that. I wish I had known then what I know now about the art of storytelling as it relates to photography. But, thanks to Molly Flanagan and the master photographers she first introduced me to, I have a better understanding of that now. I’m still growing as a photographer, but my focus is growing as a storyteller; because making “cool pictures” gets boring really quickly for me. So now I don’t ask if it’s a good picture: I ask what it says.

kids jumping off log into lake

What did you find most challenging about working with the 24mm and only the 24mm throughout the year?

The most challenging thing was learning to work with the distortion in situations where there were lines everywhere–how to change my angle or position to make the distortion work in my favor rather than against me. I like the distortion of the 24, but it isn’t always easy to work with.

artist extending hands

Did you find that the 24mm worked particularly well for you in certain environments while you maybe would have preferred another focal length in other settings? In particular, what did you think about using the 24mm for portraits? 

The 24 is great indoors in small spaces. It’s great when you want to be forced to tell more of the story. It’s great when you feel like you have a tendency to get too close and keep thinking you should have backed up. It’s an awesome lens if your goal for a photograph is honesty. It is hella hard to use the 24 outside, especially if you’re trying to track down kids who are running every which way. Because you HAVE to get close! And the little ones always seem to run away just as you finally get there. But in those situations I always end up getting a good workout if not a good picture! As for portraits, I don’t recommend the 24 for traditional angles. You have to get creative. Distortion on the 24 is real, folks.

baby crawling after boy in splash pad

If you could only pick one image out of your one lens year as your favorite, which would it be and why?

That changes frequently. But right now my favorite is the one of the boy in his messy room, because it is a wonderful example of everything I love about the 24–and a picture I couldn’t have made without it!

boy in messy room

What long-lasting changes to your photography as a whole occurred as a result of using one lens for a year? Style? Approach? Attitude? Focus?

Limiting myself almost always leads to growth, and in my case that growth is often in confidence. My lack of confidence is what makes me, to this day, unable to play the piano in front of anybody even though I’ve played the piano since I was 4. I shake, get nervous, doubt myself, worry, sweat, shake more… you get the picture. When I limit myself, I take away certain excuses and doubts. I have to suck it up. Either I do it or I don’t. As an under-confident over-thinker, this is a really good thing, and in the case of playing the piano I eventually decided it wasn’t worth it. But with photography…well I’ve decided I can handle not being as awesome as I’d like to be. I believe the stories I have yet to tell are worth being brutally honest with myself now. It’s a good thing to come to grips with where I really am as an artist. It’s so tempting to blame my own lack of mastery on, well, everything. Insufficient equipment is one of those things. But when I submit myself to any kind of limitation (in this case it was simply a limitation of equipment), all I can do is own up to my own shortcomings and keep learning and growing. So though I probably grew in my photographic skills through my One Year, One Lens commitment, it’s the realistic perspective I’m thankful for.

boy on waterslide

Was there one session/photo/moment in particular that was your “ah ha” moment with the lens? 

Really, the first session I did solely with my 24–a session in Portland that covered a morning with an artist couple–was that “ah ha” moment, because I realized how fun this project was going to be–how freeing it was! It’s still one of my favorite sessions to date. Unfortunately, I recently re-did my site, and I lost all past blog posts (yes, I’m very frustrated…!), so I can’t share that session with you.

Editor’s Note:  Courtney was able to send us a link to an updated gallery for this session.  You can see it here.

artist in studio

Ultimately, after all you’ve learned about this lens, what would you say its strong points and weaknesses are?

Weaknesses: The 24 is a risky lens, because it is much harder to omit unwanted elements, and it has obvious distortion. You have to get up close and personal when you want a close shot, and, as with any fixed lens, you have to get up and move if you want to “zoom in” or “zoom out.”

Strengths: See above 🙂 Seriously, though, I’d say it’s riskiness is what makes it such a wonderful lens! Because in my opinion safe is boring.

bare child with markers on top of table

To learn how to apply to be featured please visit our SUBMISSIONS page!

 

 

girl making pasta - family documentary photography

Featured Artist – Jolene Bresney

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We are so excited to bring you our first Featured Artist for 2016, Jolene Bresney of Studiobloom.  You can find her online on her website, Facebook, and Instagram. Here she is in her own words and pictures:

girl making pasta - family documentary photography
Please, introduce yourself and let us get to know you.

I’m Jolene Bresney, a lifestyle photographer living it up (haha) in the Midwest. I’m a wife and mother to 3 kiddos- 1 boy and 2 girls. We love to travel around the world, but equally enjoy spending time at home with family and friends. The outdoors is where I find my peace, I make a point to get outside every day- winter especially!  It’s where I do my soul searching and dreaming- my anchor in the daily throws of motherhood. I enjoy writing almost as much as photography- but I can only balance one creative outlet at a time. Someday, I hope to publish a book that combines the two- a girl can dream, right?!

girl making pasta - family documentary photography


Tell us about your journey as a photographer.

I first fell in love with photography back in high school (do I have to say when that was?!), but didn’t seriously pick up a camera again until the birth of my 2nd child. I have very few photographs from my own childhood, so as life evolved with my children, I saw how incredibly beautiful it was and recognized a void that I desired to fill. I ached to document everything- moments were slipping away, the days and years, unabiding. I enjoy capturing our messy moments as much as the conventional– I am a sucker for honest and raw in every outlet. I pine to capture emotion and have always preferred the unscripted over the perfectly posed. I have major OCD when it comes to learning new things, soooo once I started studying photography, I couldn’t stop. I poured over every book, blog post, and YouTube video I could possibly get my hands on to figure out how to manipulate light and master my camera. I’m still learning to this day. My early professional work was very posed, and I became pretty good at it, but it felt trite and uninspiring to me. After attending several workshops, I began to take my personal work more seriously. Only recently, I have starting sharing it publicly. I was afraid that people would assume I wasn’t successful if my blog was consumed with my kids instead of clients. Big mistake– I have never felt more fulfilled. You attract what you publish. Publish what you love. Best lesson learned. Vow to shoot what speaks to you and you will always have authenticity in that. This is art, not mathematics, so I have fun trying out new things to avoid the creative rut.

two girls painting - family documentary photography


What is your daily schedule like? Describe your work/life balance.

During the school year my daily schedule doesn’t deviate much- I start my day reading something inspiring so I can sustain the demands of the day.  Daily life with 3 kids and a husband who travels a lot can be hard. I spend my mornings and afternoons working- whether it’s answering emails, editing, housework, etc. I try to get everything done before the kids come home from school. After 3 pm, I’m all theirs. I try to be as present as I possibly can be. I don’t want them to ever feel like they are competing with a device for my attention. I am a mother first, then a photographer. When school is not in session, we have very little routine and it’s liberating and kinda crazy, but I love it! I book my client sessions on the weekends, and I don’t take more than 1-2 per week. I shoot for myself every day.

child's water color painting - Studio Bloom - Documentary Family Photography
How do you keep your photos fresh when you’re photographing in the same spaces at home all the time? What is your thought process when you pick up your camera?

To keep my photos fresh, I play with light and shadows. This creates a mood, which makes for interesting art. If it’s cloudy and dreary outside- which it often is in the winter, I don’t fight it. I embrace it, often intentionally underexposing to amp up the mood. Likewise, if it’s sunny I will go for a lighter, airy feel. I incorporate objects to assist in creating interesting composition. I will use doorways and walls, and other fixtures to frame my subject. I like to incorporate prisms and mirrors for creative effects. Challenging yourself to see things in new ways forces you to be creative and innovative in a familiar space.

child concentrating on desk work - Studio Bloom - Documentary Family Photography

Most of your work appears to be done with limited light. What are some of your favourite tips for working with low, dramatic light?

Shooting in low light is my favorite! It’s so moody and gritty. I rarely use a flash, if I do, it’s off camera for a creative effect. To shoot in low light, I crank up my ISO, lower my shutter speed, and shoot with a wide aperture. I like some grain in my moody images, so a little noise can be masked in post-processing. My advise is to know your camera’s limitations. My ISO can go past 1000 and still look clean. I work with light that is readily available. Be creative, there are no rules!

child's water color painting - Studio Bloom - Documentary Family Photography

To learn how to apply to be featured please visit our submissions page!