Tell us a little bit about your photography - where are you based and what type of photography do you currently enjoy?
I am based on the west coast of sunny Florida! I've always called this coast my home and truly feel the most creative when I'm close to the ocean. I'd like to think that is reflected in much of my photography. I love bright sunny days, ocean waves, and wind blown hair. Okay maybe that's such a cliche, but that's me! I spend a lot of my time photographing couples on the beach, small local brands, boudoir baddies, and intimate weddings. Clearly I have a difficult time niching down, but I'd say my niche is anything creative. I love when my couples come to me with an idea for a shoot that is a bit out of the box. I love telling a brand's story with images they can use to grow. I love capturing the sweet moments shared during a backyard wedding ceremony. I'm here for it all!
In only a couple of words, how would you describe your style of photography?
Warm, Coastal, Laid-back Storytelling
Tell us about one of your most memorable photoshoots or perhaps a favourite photo you have taken?
Ooh this is a tough one, but the ones that always end up being my favourite are the most unique and creative ones (no surprise there lol)! But the one that sticks out most in my mind was one that I did during a content day I hosted last year. The vision was to have a couple washing a VW bus at a car wash. Well I had no idea what I was in for when I came up with this idea or how hard it would be to make it come to life. But after months of planning I found the coolest retro carwash in town and a bright yellow VW bus. The owner of the bus drove three hours to bring it to the shoot and two of the my previous clients agreed to model for it. It ended up being one of the most fun and unique shoots I've ever done. Everyone who attended the content day said that shoot was one of the coolest they'd ever seen and they had a blast with the couple who absolutely brought it to life! I'm looking forward to more shoots like that in the future.
As a photographer, nurturing your creativity while trying to balance self employment and life can be a little tricky sometimes. Where do you find the inspiration to continue creating and maintaining consistency?
I certainly can't say I'm the best at this because I love saying "yes" a little too much, but I've found that setting realistic boundaries and saying no to things that I don't feel completely draw or connected to helps allow space for the things that do! I try to shoot for fun at least once a month. I find that when the pressure is off and I can just have fun with it, I end up being the most creative and learning things I wouldn't have otherwise. That would be my word of advice to photographers at any stage in their business - shoot for fun! There is no downside and you'll always walk away a little better at your craft than you were before!
Having grown as a photographer, is there any piece of advice that you could give to yourself when you first started down this path, or wish you had known sooner?
There are so many technical things I wish I had known sooner, like camera settings and Lightroom tricks but, the most important piece of advice I could give to my prior self and to any new photographer, is to not be afraid to share your work in the beginning. I was always so scared to post my work because there were so many other photographers who were better than me. I now mentor beginner photographers and many of them say the same thing, "I don't want to make an Instagram or post my work until my work is good enough". Don't do that!! I am bummed when I look back at my feed knowing there were so many more shoots I could have posted when I first started but was too afraid to. Be okay with being mediocre. You are your harshest critic. Force yourself to share your work before you think it's "ready". It will only motivate you to grow and get better!
Is there anything special you have been working on - mentoring, workshops, courses ect. We'd love to let other photographers know!
I do have another content day in the works for this year that I'm so excited for! I haven't announced details yet because it is very much in the beginning stages, but I can say it will be a mix of three of my favourite things to shoot - couples, brands and boudoir! I haven't seen anything like it done before so I'm pumped to bring it to life. I'll be posting updates on my Instagram for anyone who's interested in following along. I've also been going through a rebrand so I'm excited to launch my new website soon, which will include some free goodies for photographers and I'll finally have a place to post all the content day details. Last thing I'll mention is the mentorships I offer because they are probably my favourite thing I do. Finding true community can be really tough. When I was just beginning, I found myself struggling to know where to go for help or getting ghosted when I'd reach out to other photographers - so about a year ago I decided to launch my virtual mentorships for beginner photographers. I honestly didn't think anyone would sign up but knew I had knowledge to offer and knew I was now the person 'beginner me' really needed when I was just starting out. To my surprise dozens of photographers signed up and these sessions have been more rewarding than I ever could have imaged. I keep them as fairly priced as I can, so that someone starting out can afford them. My goal from them really isn't to make money. They are a way I can give back and build up my community. This business can be really overwhelming and daunting in the beginning, so I'm happy to be a safe space where photographers can come to learn and grow!
What gear are you currently using and what would you typically carry in your Kamrette camera bag?
I am a Canon girl through and through, so I always have my R6 body in my bag. I typically shoot wth my Canon 35mm 1.4 but lately I've also been loving the 24-70mm 2.8. I love to have a backup so I always bring my Canon R body with me as well, and some other goodies too. Maybe I'll through my flash in for some fun post sunset pics or I might bring my film camera along. Sometimes I like playing around with a fractal or star filter. Depends on the mood but luckily my Lyra backpack can carry it all because I never pack light!
Let's finish it off with a fan favourite - if you could only have one lens, which one would you choose?
This one might come as a surprise because I don't actually own this lens but I have rented it a few times and it is a BEAST! The Canon RF 28-70mm F2. That bad boy packs a punch! It has that beautifully low f-stop and all the focal range you could need. The price tag is a steep one though so I'm fine with renting it here and there for now.
