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31 EPIC SUMMER SESSIONS, BE INSPIRED, PHOTOGRAPHY

13 / 31 Epic summer session| Feature by Sara K Blanco

July 13, 2017by hellodearphotographerLeave a Comment

Is this session personal work or client work?

This session was for a client, a fellow photographer, and her daughter. We started by photographing a lifestyle session in their home and ended our day outside to catch an amazing sunset.

Tell us a bit about the magic of summer + the connection to your lens?

I love everything about summer in Texas, especially the long sunny days that are best spent dipping your toes in some water. I used my 35 mm 1.4 for this session, because there was so much movement, light and space that I didn’t want to miss.

What about this session makes it an Epic summer session?

I think this session is pretty epic, because of the connection between mom and her baby girl. I needed to give zero direction, they were so in tune with each other and their joy in each others presence was a delight.

What else is on your summer bucket list to photograph this summer?

I stay busy with client sessions throughout every season that my camera usually stays tucked away when I’m home, but this summer I’d really love to photograph my boys and our time together. They have grown so much over the past year and with my youngest starting kinder, I’m beginning to realize that time will never slow down and I don’t want to miss a minute.

What gear was used to achieve these?

I used my Canon Mark iii and 35 mm 1.4 for this session.

Any summer tips or photographer advice?

Get outside with your clients or the people you love and just shoot. Don’t worry about the sweat and the rosy cheeks, just embrace the magic of summer and have fun. Always have an open mind and heart, allow joy to be a part of everyday!!

ABOUT THE ARTIST :

I live in San Antonio, TX with my husband of twelve years, our two boys and our rescue dog, Bear. I was lucky enough to know that art was the only path for my life at an early age and have been pursuing photography as a job with as much passion as I had at 17. I adore people, connections and relationships as much as I love this art and am forever grateful to the families who choose me.

W E B S I T E | F A C E B O O K | I N S T A G R A M

31 EPIC SUMMER SESSIONS, BE INSPIRED, PHOTOGRAPHY

11/ 31 EPIC SUMMER SESSIONS |Feature by Amanda Hall Photography

July 11, 2017by hellodearphotographerLeave a Comment

Is this session personal work or client work?

This session was a mixture of personal and client, as this is one of my best friends and her daughter. Their session was a gift.

Tell us a bit about the magic of summer + the connection to your lens?

I love summer – the colors, lack of clothes, dirt everywhere, finding every excuse to get wet. Capturing all of that is my happy place!

What about this session makes it an Epic summer session?

This was my first time shooting in a creek after yearning to for quite awhile. I loved just following this momma and daughter around. Watching them explore, hearing their laughter, seeing such tenderness all while stomping around in a creek – to me that is the epitome of summer-filled good time.

What else is on your summer bucket list to photograph this summer?

Naked feet, puddles, devouring watermelon, kites being flown, bonfires, camping… Really, my list just doesn’t end. Give me all of summer

What gear was used to achieve these?

I was using a Nikon D750 and was using my Nikon 35mm 1.4 for these images.

Any summer tips or photographer advice?

Goodness, I still have so much to learn! Me give advice?! LOL I guess something that I keep telling myself is to keep pushing and shooting. And enjoy it all while doing so! Oh, and get a DiCAPac cause it rocks!

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Hello! I’m a wife, momma, and daughter lovin’ life here in the Midwest. A follow-your-gut, listen-to-your-heart, dance-to-your-own-beat lady who thinks nothing of new and wild adventures. Nothing puts me more in awe or sends my love overflowing more than witnessing our boys’ explore all that life has to give while loving on each other and my hubs and I. Volunteering makes my soul sing and feel complete in a way that nothing else ever has. I truly believe it takes a village to raise babies and I am so thankful for my parents, in-laws, adopted U.K. family, and my community of amazing mommas both near and far. My friends are gifts and chosen family members. I’m still my Dad’s Sunshine and my mom is one of my best friends. My husband is the very best man I’ve ever known, who tells me he loves me all day through and makes our life laughter-filled. I love grass beneath my bare feet, bonfires on a cool night, fishing in early misty mornings, road trips, playing card games, and family dance parties. To be honest, there isn’t much I don’t love.

W E B S I T E | F A C E B O O K | I N S T A G R A M

31 EPIC SUMMER SESSIONS, BE INSPIRED, PHOTOGRAPHY

5/ 31 EPIC SUMMER SESSION | Mandi Johnson Photography

July 5, 2017July 6, 2017by hellodearphotographerLeave a Comment

Is this session personal work or client work?

This was a client session.

Tell us a bit about the magic of summer + the connection to your lens?

I love light & live for the sessions where there is dreamy light to work with! When I see light pouring through trees or a pocket of light, I just can’t wait to utilize it. I love sun flares & especially try to create them throughout the sessions where the light enables!

What about this session makes it an Epic summer session?

This session qualified as an epic summer session in my book because the light was so pretty & made the surroundings appear so magical. I utilized every pocket of light streaming in that I could find to create fun flares & light the family up with the golden glow!

What else is on your summer bucket list to photograph this summer?

I have some projects on my summer list that include a few fun locations up in Northern MN, a session taken by the lights of the carnival, & a vintage ice cream truck!!

What gear was used to achieve these?

I used my Nikon D610 & SIGMA Art 35mm lens.

Any summer tips or photographer advice?

Don’t be afraid of the sun, just learn & know how to use it to your advantage. I used to be afraid of full sun, but I have 3 littles- 5 & under so I simply can’t avoid it if I want to capture their adventures during the day. Simply set your camera settings appropriately & you can really achieve fun images (I shoot wide open- typically at 1.8 so I usually have a high SS, wide aperture, & low ISO in order to achieve the look i’m going for)! When shooting during golden hour, utilize your surroundings, such as, trees, buildings, or other items to create a fun flare & to block out some sun so it isn’t as intense.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

I am a mom to 3 littles- 5 year old boy, 3 year old boy, & 1.5 year old girl, wife to a husband who travels for work, & business owner of Mandi Johnson Photography. I started my business 4 short years ago after taking a few classes with the intention of photographing my first born. This hobby/new side business has grown into so much more over the past 4 years & has become something that I can say I have a true passion for! I love photographing my clients typically- maternity, newborn, fresh 48 hospital, family, children, & couples! But I also love capturing my littles on their daily adventures so I can embrace the chaos of our life & cherish it forever!\

W E B S I T E | I N S T A G R A M | F A C E B O O K | P I N T E R E S T

31 EPIC SUMMER SESSIONS, BE INSPIRED, PHOTOGRAPHY

1/31 epic summer session | Jodi Lynn Buckels of Jodi Lynn Photography

July 1, 2017July 1, 2017by hellodearphotographerLeave a Comment

Is this session personal work or client work?

This session with my daughter and her friends was personal work; I have captured she and her four best friends each year since she was born near her birthday with a creative shoot, something that inspires me and also provides me and all these families with amazing keepsakes of their childhood. It is typically my favorite shoot each year, watching these sweet girls grow has been such a gift and capturing it; absolutely priceless and so fun.

Tell us a bit about the magic of summer + the connection to your lens?

Sweet summertime for me is a time for adventure, camping, swimming and being in the great outdoors. As a family we take more family trips, slow down, do less of the ordinary and mundane, find new places to discover and visit some of our special places that bring our family peace. I love to capture my children being who they are; unscripted and true. Some of my most coveted photographs of my own were taken during summer adventures. It is such a beautiful time to practice, explore light and to think outside the box with my creativity in photographs. I also love the fresh perspective new environments and locations brings.

What about this session makes it an Epic summer session?

This session was at our favorite Sonoma Coast beach, on a breezy, mild August night. We styled these darlings in Lacey Lane, one of my favorite girl brands that has such a nostalgic feel to it. We were celebrating my daughter’s 5th birthday and I will forever remember their joy, smiles and laughter. True childhood play and delight and a perfect amount of crazy. It was one of those memorable nights and watching them explore and be together made an imprint on my heart. I can still feel the happiness and hear their giggles.

What else is on your bucket list to photograph this summer?

We are taking a few trips that I am so excited about to capture my own family, we are camping at Lake Almanor and Shasta, two simply beautiful landscapes and places we haven’t been more recently. My children seem to come into their authentic selves when they are away from school, their day to day and technology. I also have a few days trips planned with my children to Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay and at the end of the summer to Venice Beach, Santa Monica and Los Angeles. I am excited to think outside the box and have some fun capturing this season of their lives in new and exciting places. My children are growing quickly before my eyes and having this personal work means more to me than anything.

What gear was used to achieve these?

This whole session was captured with my Canon 5D Mark III and my 35 mm 1.4 lens, my go to lens. They were moving WAY too fast for me to even consider changing lenses. 😉

Any summer tips or photographer advice?

Keep your camera with you! I feel like in the summer you never know when inspiration may come about and if you are anything like us, are out and about exploring new places, you may be moved to create. Challenge yourself with different lighting situations, particularly midday light; I always love the tones and skies summer creates.

ABOUT THE ARTIST :

Jodi Lynn Buckles is an award-winning and published Natural-Light Lifestyle Photographer in beautiful, Sonoma County, California, just north of San Francisco. She loves to create meaningful and emotive work that captures life as art; true and beautiful. Jodi is a Mother to three beautiful souls, Daughter, Photographer and Teacher and simply adores capturing her own family of five and documenting this season of her life. Jodi has been featured on Lookslikefilm, Lemonade and Lenses, Dear Photographer and Beyond the Wanderlust. She was a Rangefinder Magazine Portrait Contest Winner in 2015, a Lookslikefilm Artist of the Year in 2016 and a finalist in the Shoot + Share Contest over the past three years. She is currently teaching photography through The Narrative Society and is so excited to be blending her passions of teaching and photography.

W E B S I T E | I N S T A G R A M | F A C E B O O K

31 EPIC SUMMER SESSIONS, BE INSPIRED, PHOTOGRAPHY

Summer inspiration kick off! | Kyla Ewert

June 30, 2017June 30, 2017by hellodearphotographer1 Comment

This is the kick of some epic summer inspiration, In the new Dear Photographer FB group , We asked you to share with us some of the best images of summer with the hashtag #epicsummersession. The whole month of July will be full of sun, sand, families, children, laughter, love and everything that makes summer such a special time for photographers. In 31 + incredible session features from some of the best in the industry. We hope that any of these sessions make you want to pick up your camera and shoot your heart out. Cheers to summer. We hope you are enjoying this time. If you are on the other side of the world, we hope summer finds you soon.

Now! Cue the tears, watch this incredible family summer video + session by the amazing Kyla Ewert

Is this session personal work or client work?

This is a client session, a dear friend too.

Tell us a bit about the magic of summer + the connection to your lens?

The beautiful thing about summer is truthfully the weather, the warm lends itself to being more carefree, and one less thing to think about for the clients. Warmth lends itself to comfort, and I think gives people the ability to relax better. If I have relaxed clients, I can capture their truth in a better way, and that is always my goal. The light of summer time ignites my passion for shooting, and my favorite thing to do is to combine beautiful light and someones love story.

What about this session makes it an Epic summer session?

I truthfully think this family made the session epic. Their love is so obvious, and their story is one of grace, hope and joy, which is always going to be a beautiful thing to watch, I was just lucky enough to be there with my camera.

What else is on your summer bucket list to photograph this summer?

My dream would be to travel around Canada and to capture families in their favorite, most relaxed places. So ideally at their cabins or home, where their love story is best told.

-What gear was used to achieve the video ?

For the majority of this video I used my Canon Mark iii and my Sigma 24mm 1.4, I believe I used my 50mm 1.2 for a bit of it.

Any summer tips or photographer advice?

Look for the love and the light.

Proud wife to Tyler, blessed mama to Atticus, Sullivan and Pepper. I spend my days trying to take in their smalless, calling my sisters and mom when I’m frustrated, praying I’m better tomorrow, regretting eating too many sweets, and surprised every day at 4pm that I still have to make dinner. I love a good wheat ale beer, entertaining in our home (thank goodness my husband cooks,) and chasing sunsets in my minivan full of kids and a camera bag. When I’m not taking pictures I’m charging my camera’s battery ad making the most of these long days and short years.

W E B S I T E | I N G T A G R A M | F A C E B O O K | E M A I L

LENSBABY PROJECT, PHOTOGRAPHY

The traveling Lensbaby project |Chelsea Furlong, VA

June 10, 2017June 10, 2017by hellodearphotographer1 Comment

Weekly special project. LENSBABY is in Hampton Roads VA

What is one thing about your photos that says the most about you as a person. Dig deep!

I think the emotion and the darkness in my photos is what says a lot about me as a person. Obviously I was in full sun for most of these images at the beach, but often my personal images of my children are pretty dark and I play with shadows a lot because I love the dark, dramatic feel of them. I have a sensitive soul and I feel like my images often convey that deep sensitivity.

Can you tell us a little bit about the process you’ve gone through (or that you are going through) to find your photographic style? How has it evolved over the years?

It took me a long time to find my personal style. I had no idea who I wanted to be as a photographer when I was starting out, and it’s taken me several years to just go with what feels right. I’m always saying that once your art comes directly from your heart, you’ve found yourself. That happened for me last August, and I remember the exact moment I found my voice as a photographer. I’ll never forget the snap of the shutter in that exact moment because I felt something inside me ignite. I knew the second I hit the shutter that the photograph I had taken was my defining moment. It changed my art and my world. What’s interesting about style is that I thought that once I found my style, that would be it. There would be a period at the end of the sentence and I’d be forever that artist. But it’s not that way at all. Yes, I found my style, but it’s still very much evolving. Daily. My skill level, voice, and style are all progressing with every single photo I take. And I hope that never changes.

What Lensbaby lenses have you shot with before? How have they transformed your work?

This Lensbaby Twist 60 was the very first Lensbaby I’ve used! I’m a huge fan of freelensing because it challenges me and I love the dream-like feel of the images it produces. I loved the Lensbaby for the same reasons! One of the only times I focus manually, is when I’m freelensing and I always love the challenge of getting my two extremely active little boys in focus, so I had a blast with the manual focus on the Lensbaby!

Why is it important that photographers not get too fixed in their ways? What makes experimentation so crucial to an artist’s growth?

When photographers don’t take the time to step out of their comfort zones, their work can become stagnant and monotonous. I always know when I’m in a bit of a photography rut because I feel bored with my images. Often those ruts come right before a huge jump in my work though. When I’m stuck and feeling uninspired, I’ll usually step back and find something to focus on or perfect that I’ve never done before, or I’ll try out a new lens! I always have a list of technical or artistic photography related skills that I want to try out, so I’ll take several days to practice only that one thing until I’m happy with the result. If that doesn’t work, or I don’t have the time in the next few weeks to work on a new skill, I simply switch out my lens. I use only prime lenses so going from one lens to another can have a huge impact on the look of my photos, which can spark up my passion all over again! It’s easy to become fixed in your ways, but you lose the fire in your soul when that happens and photography becomes more like a chore than a passion. When you step outside of that comfort zone, experiment with new equipment, materials, and lighting, and push your own limits, that’s when the good stuff happens. That’s when you create art, rather than take photographs.

ABOUT THE ARTIST :

I’m a lover of coffee, food, music, traveling and mother nature. But above that I’m a mother to two energetic little boys. My 2 and 4 yr old sons are the reason I’m a photographer. They feed my soul and feed my creativity, so you’ll see them pop up in my photos almost daily. If you follow my photography journey , you’ll find you’ll get to know them quite well without even knowing them.

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LENSBABY PROJECT, PHOTOGRAPHY, PROJECTS

The traveling LENSBABY project | feature by Jessica Mielke Photography

May 15, 2017by hellodearphotographerLeave a Comment

What is one thing about your photos that says the most about you as a person. Dig deep!

Wow this is a tough question. I feel I am an authentic person and I try to be open and vulnerable with my life. I try to document in a way that shows the real, raw, vulnerable parts of life.

Can you tell us a little bit about the process you’ve gone through (or that you are going through) to find your photographic style? How has it evolved over the years?

I picked up my first DSLR in 2008 and I have never looked back. I have bounced around genres and styles a lot actually and it wasn’t until very recently that I have found a style that I love. I struggled with what my heart was telling me to photograph over what made my family some money. For years I photographed everything, I booked whatever I could to make money but I was emotionally and artistically drained. It wasn’t until I decided that I needed to shoot 100% for me that I really began to define my style. I started editing the way I wanted to edit vs what my clients were used to.

What Lensbaby lenses have you shot with before? How have they transformed your work?

I have never shot with a lensbaby before. Eep I was so excited to get this one in the mail for the week. It was definitely tough to nail the focus for me but I still loved it and I have one in my Amazon cart right now.
I have never used a lensbaby, but I have done a lot of freelensing and I feel that helped transform my work a lot. I learned that some images are best out of focus because life isn’t always in focus.

Why is it important that photographers not get too fixed in their ways? What makes experimentation so crucial to an artist’s growth?

Experimenting is SOOOO crucial. I bounced around a lot when I was beginning and I think that really helped me figure out what I loved to photograph! You can’t grow as an artist if you’re not constantly evolving, learning, experimenting. I don’t want to be the same artist in a year. I want to be better, I want my images to speak to someone and if I don’t occasionally experiment with what I am doing that is never going to happen, change and growth will never happen.

ABOUT THE ARTIST :

I am Jessica. I am a seeker of light and love. I live in Aurora Colorado with my husband, two crazy kids, three crazy dogs and 5 even crazier chickens.. I photograph in the Denver Metro Area and select dates in Tucson Arizona. I am a storyteller and lifestyle photographer. I document Maternity, Births and Families. I believe that life should be documented as it is, messy and crazy, sometimes dark and grainy.

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