1. Change up my environment. Get out of the house and visit a new place with my kids.
   
2. Pull out a different lens that I haven’t used for a while. Recently I pulled out my 50mm which had been collecting dust – I had forgotten what lovely photographs you can get with a 50mm! Now its back in rotation.
3. Try something experimental – I pull out a Lensbaby or try freelensing or using a prism in front of the lens. I love the dream-like quality I can get using these techniques in both still photographs and video.
4. Find a different subject to shoot. I love photographing my kids, but sometimes its nice to change things up. I’ll go over to a friend’s house and photograph her family, or pull out the tripod and do some self-portraits.
   
5. Go for a walk and pay attention to light and shadow, lines, shapes and colors. Your own neighborhood can be such an inspiration if you really open your eyes to it. I took a class from Lauren Mitchell earlier this year called “Here is Where: Photographing the World Around You” and it was such a game-changer for me. You really can find beauty in the most unexpected of places if you are open to it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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:

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”.

What 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”.

Who would you identify as artistic influences for your work?

Kirsten Lewis for sure, I took her 1^st 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.

What 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.

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

Our Perfectly Real artist this month is Jenna Christina of Jenna Christina Photography. Her fantastic black and white images are full of love, grit, play and honesty.  You should check her out her website, Jenna Christina Photo, or on Facebook.

What’s your favorite lens for shooting this type of work?  And do you
have any accessories you just love (filter, bag, camera strap, etc.)?

The Sigma 35mm 1.4  is almost exclusively on my D750 when working in-home sessions; sometimes I get very up close and personal since it’s not a zoom!

I actually use one of my old leather waist belts as a strap; it’s wide which means it levels out pressure more than the traditional camera straps.

What is your favorite type of light to shoot in?

When I first started out I worked with open shade or “safe” golden hour light, because that seemed to be the way to go. Something just didn’t click (pun intended) for me during these sessions, though. Once I realized the photos I liked the most were the ones that captured a moment of some sort, I knew I had to rethink the way I do family and newborn photography. That lead me to doing storytelling in-home sessions and now I truly love working with window light, because it can be very directional and dramatic. Using the contrast between light and shadow is a great way to emphasize the important things in a picture, whether it’s a person or the mood. The unpredictableness (I’m sure that’s a word!) of how subjects move in the light keeps me on my toes.

What is the most valuable tip you have learned in pursuit of shooting
in a more documentary style?

Talk naturally to everyone during the shoot. When you’re showing genuine interest, you get clues about what is important to them as well as what is typical behavior for a family member. It will make your clients crazy happy if you capture those seemingly mundane things in amazing pictures. Another thing I’ve realized is that you don’t need to see someone’s face to create a great portrait of them.

What are you drawn to document? Is there a particular composition,
technique, or mood you love?

In-home sessions are really magical to me, because the pictures are a little peek into someone’s world. I’m always looking for connections between family members, whether it’s a shared look or a touch; something comical or emotional. I have a master’s degree in psychology and I worked with kids for many years before starting my photography business, which I think helps me anticipate those moments.