THE ARCHIVE
IT'S OKAY TO BE A MINIMALIST PHOTOGRAPHER
I used to think I needed every piece of photography gear I could get my hands on. I would read about the gear that other photographers were using and I thought I needed those things too. Never in a million years did I think I would have as much photography gear as I have now. Just recently I was thinking about what I have and use. When compared to others it may not seem like that much, but yet to someone else it may seem like a ton. Two different camera bodies, three different lenses, and an array of camera accessories. Not to mention the vintage cameras I seem to always be collecting, haha!
But here's the thing, at heart, I'm a minimalist photographer. I don't like to tote around tons of gear. I don't want five different lenses hanging of my body. I like to keep things simple. When I was in Colorado I packed my LowePro photo hatchback and tried to keep things simple. I took my two camera bodies, with two lenses attached. I opted to leave my gorillapod at home, and I only took a few accessories. If It didn't fit in my bag I wasn't going to take it.
I get easily bogged down if I'm caring too much gear, and you know what the great thing is? I rarely ever need more then I have. I'm able to capture amazing photos with my D700 paired with my 50mm lens; between portraits and landscapes, I'm pretty much covered. :) The 50mm is so versatile, it's one of my favorite lenses.
You don't need every piece of gear under the sun to take amazing photos. You simply have to start where you are, with a passion for light, and a heart for story. xoxo. Samantha
WIDE OPEN SPACES: THE ART OF LEARNING FROM OTHERS
A sure-fire way to grow and learn is to spend time with other creatives... and also step in front of the camera. ;) Amy of A Love Photography spearheaded our mountain photo shoot. She dreamed up the loveliest idea to put us all in flowing dresses and photograph us in front of beautiful Colorado mountains. Best idea ever, if you ask me. I couldn't wait to jump in and snap photos of everyone.
What I loved most about this experience and the experience of the whole weekend was how much I learned. Learning in experiences like these isn't like studying a book or scrolling through tips online, it's about being present and observing how and why others execute their craft.
ASK HOW
My default photo face is a serious face. I'm most comfortable in front of the camera with a serious face, for some reason it comes more naturally. Beth, however, has the best laughing photos. She makes laughing and smiling look easy, but there's an art to it, just like a good serious face. The best way to learn the art of each of these styles of posing is simply to ask. I asked Beth if she could teach me her laughing pose. The great thing about having someone teach you verses simply trying to figure it out is that they are able to explain all the small details that make the photo work.
ACTIVELY LISTEN
When we did this mountain inspired shoot Amy directed each of us as we stood in front of her camera. While she was directing Beth and Meg, I was actively listening to how she talked through each session, the types of tips she gave her subjects, and how she wanted them to pose. Our styles are different, but actively listening to how another photographer directs can teach us and inspire us in our own work.
OBSERVE
I loved observing Beth during photo shoots and any time we were actively taking photos. Beth definitely inspired me to think differently about my photos. The way she executes taking photos feels so much more fluid then my execution. Simply observing another photographer as they work and being able to view their work throughout the process will really inspire you too see things differently and encourage you to stretch yourself as a photographer.
I absolutely love spending time with other bloggers and photographers. It's the best feeling hanging with with a bunch of lovely people who just get you. What are some ways you actively learn from others? xoxo. Samantha
Photo Credit: A Love Photography
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR PHOTO SHOOT LOCATION
Alright friends, lets talk about location and how great it is when a location gives us more then we bargained for. :) Something I love about locations is when I can do an entire session there but walk away with lots of different photos and backgrounds. This session is a great example of that. We were at Loyal Coffee and every where we turned there was something distinctive about each background making it easy to capture different photos. Let's break down this session.
BRICK WALL
We were working with the cutest wood table and a brick wall. It was perfect for casual lifestyle photos. We could do things as simple as sitting and drinking coffee or we could have thrown a few friends in and made things really fun. Either way were were able to take great photos in front of a beautiful brick wall and add variety to our session.
GREY STONE WALL
What I really loved about this grey wall was that it was great for contrast and added a little moodiness to the photos. Beth is effortless in front of the camera and this grey wall made her teal shirt really pop. Whenever I shoot against walls I almost always ask for my subjects to take a few steps away from the wall as well. You can get a variety of photos with the wall more in focus and when they step away you can get photos with the out of focus as well.
OPEN BACKGROUND
This is my favorite photo from this session. What stands out most about this photo is what may or may not be going on in the background. The openness makes it light and airing. Right behind Beth you can see a few drinks... this makes us wonder what might be going on back there... maybe friends having coffee? I also love how the background is blowout, there's what looks like a tree back there and other tables and chairs. There's plenty of depth in this photo which I love.
Where are some of yor favorite places to take photos? What is it about those locations that you really love? xoxo. Samantha
GETTING BRIGHT BLUE SKIES IN YOUR LANDSCAPE PHOTOS
Quick tip Tuesday! At least that's what I'm calling it for today, because todays tips are quick and easy. Something I love and miss all at the same time are blue skies. I don't feel like we have enough blue skies in New York. Shooting landscapes have never been my forte. I started my photography journey shooting portraits and then added brand photography and those are where my photography strengths lie.
For me shooting a good landscape is really all about the landscape. The landscape does all the work because it's the pretty part. ;) So let's get to those quick tips.
ADJUST YOUR F-STOP
First, when shooting landscape you want to adjust your F-Stop. When I shoot portraits I usually shoot with an F-stop of F2.8 or F3.2, this brings out my subject and creates a nice bokeh background. It took me a long time to remember to adjust my F-stop for landscape because I was so used to shooting portraits. When shooting landscapes you want to adjust your F-stop into the double digits, think F11 or F12. This adjustment will allow you to get all of your landscape in focus.
SHOOT WITH THE SUN BEHIND YOU
This one is huge for me. Because I was used to shooting portraits I often shot at sunset, often times shooting backlit. The first time I attempted to shoot landscapes I used these same techniques and things did not turn out well. During one of my photography classes the instructor changed everything for me with one simple sentence, "shoot with the sun behind you." It was that easy. If the sun is behind you it lights up the sky. If the sun is in front of you it blows out the sky.
Easy peasy, right? You can totally change your landscape photography game simply by adjusting your F-stop and placing the sun behind you. What are some of your tried and true landscape photography tips? Send them my way, I have plenty to learn! :) xoxo. Samantha