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
TIPS & TRICKS FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE PHOTOS
Laughing and brunch dates for the win, amiright? I love to laugh and I love spending time with people who laugh and make me laugh. These friends make me laugh and I love everything about that. Two things happen to us as photographers.... we either take our camera everywhere we go... or we leave it at home. If I'm not careful I leave my camera at home (I'm currently telling myself it's because we're homebodies, haha.)
In an effort to take more lifestyle photos and continue to challenge myself as a photographer I wanted to come up with some tips and tricks for taking more and better lifestyle photos.
MAKE A PLAN
When I was with the girls I knew we would be taking photos every where we went, that's the perk of hanging out with other photographers. :) We planned to go to brunch and it was second nature to be toting my camera around. I had made a mental plan that I would take photos, that I would capture our moments together, and hopefully snap some style photos while we were at it. I made a plan. This is a huge tip for me, because most of the time I'm hanging out with non-photographers/bloggers. I get a little insecure when I pull out my camera and start snapping photos of everyone and their mom. Luckily, my closest friends are used to it, ha! Now that I'm home it's important for me to make that mental plan. I have to decided ahead of time I'm going to take lifestyle photos while I'm out and take pictures of everyone and their mom. ;)
KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR LIGHT AND SURROUNDINGS
I feel like I harp on light at lot, but hey, it's important, right? Light is crucial in our photos, but with lifestyle photos, because we're working to capture moments that naturally unfold, we can't always move our subjects. BUT, we can move ourselves or adjust our surroundings to create better light or a better atmosphere. During our brunch date we ate outside, which was great because it was beautiful and sunny. The light however, was harsh and direct. We ended up opening the umbrella over our table. This was great for two reasons; we didn't have light streaming into our eyes, and we had more even light to snap photos in.
DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS
Details are some of my favorite moments to capture. They tell a great part of your story and most of the time they are easy to capture. Details can be more then objects... they can be hands, accessories, moments, and everything else in between.
BE DISCRETE
Do you want to know a secret? One of my least favorite things is drawing attention to myself when I take photos. I wish I could be invisible and just snap away. If I'm hanging out with people who aren't in front of the camera often, I try my best to be discrete. I try to capture them when they aren't looking. I snap a few detail shots around them before actually pointing the camera at them. This allows them to get a little more comfortable in front of the camera and hopefully they relax.
Featured items: Punch Vintage Leather Cuff c/o || Natalie Borton Necklace c/o || Joyful Ink Calligraphy Drink Stirs c/o
*Save 10% on Natalie Borton jewelry when you use this link! Woot!
Every day is a new day to grow, learn, and experiment with our photography. Have you ever heard the quote, "We all have 10,000 bad drawings in us. The sooner we get them out the better." I feel the same way about photographing. The more photos we take the better we get. What are some of your favorite lifestyle photos tips? xoxo. Samantha
*Photo Credits: Elah Tree || Oak + Oats || A Love photography
BEHIND THE SCENES AT LOYAL COFFEE
You know you've found your tribe when...
If the majority of your blog career has been spent alone (no other bloggers live in your town) and then you find your self spending a weekend with other bloggers and photographers... you finally feel like you've found your tribe.
There's nothing like spending time with a group of others who completely understand what you're doing and why you're doing it. They know why you're pulling out your camera. They know why you're taking a photo from five different angles. They know why you keep staring up at the sky... I look at the sky a lot, haha! They understand why you've spend a whole hour in one place just taking pictures.
Conversations about the best lighting are normal. Conversations about where to sit are normal. Asking to move a drink, shift just a little to the left, look a little to the right are normal. Asking someone to sit tight or hold that pose for just a bit longer... it's all normal. I just love that.
Those moments, were these moment at Loyal Coffee and it's a perfect opportunity to take a peak behind the scenes. I love the two pictures just below. Meg snapped a picture of me taking a picture of Beth's drink and you can see the "after" photo just below of Beth's drink.
What I loved most about these moments was watching how everyone's creativity unfolded. Seeing how each person viewed an experience and seeing how they chose to capture that moment through their lens. For the most part, I shoot rather methodically. I think through what the light is doing, I look around at backgrounds, distractions, people, and composition. I'll actually hold my camera up to my face and see my surroundings through my lens. Not all moments I capture are like this, sometimes I simply see the moment, like this one. But a lot of the time is methodical.
One thing I loved watching, was Beth. Beth see's people and moments and captures them unabashedly. She'll view one moment and capture it 5 different ways. This was so inspiring to me, it challenged and encouraged me as a photographer. It helped me to see things differently through my lens.
Look at that photo below... that might be my thinking face, haha! One thing I love about this collection of photos is that you get to see what it looks like behind the camera. In one of the photos below, I was snapping pictures of Beth and Meg was trying to sneak through behind. You can totally see her trying to get by. I love the photos below of Meg, Beth did an amazing job capturing great lifestyle photos.
Featured Items: (Me) Between Two Pines Pullover c/o || (Me) AEO Denim Skinnies || (Me) Punch Vintage Leather Cuff c/o || (Me) Natalie Borton Necklace c/o || (Beth) Punch Vintage Leather Cuff c/o || (Beth) Let's Get Lost Tee c/o || (Amy) Mountain Time Tee c/o
*Save 10% on Natalie Borton jewelry when you use this link! Woot!
Moments like this weekend are important and necessary. Jim Rohn once said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.” This really makes you think doesn't it? Who are those five people in your life? How is the time your spending with them effecting who you are? If I could spend time with these friends all the time I would and I definiltey believe it would change the way I grow and how my business grows, but I'll take what I can get. ;) xoxo. Samanth
Photo Credits: Elah Tree || Oak + Oats || A Love Photography || Rivers + Roads