Tag: lifestyle photographer

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Photo Sessions Photography

Madsen Family Lifestyle Photos – Minneapolis, MN

There are very few things I miss about our “sticks and bricks” lifestyle. Overall, living the life of a nomad suits our sense of adventure and we don’t mind the inconsistencies that come with it.

Everyone once in awhile though, I get to photograph a family and realize how much I loved it. I photographed weddings & families (kids, and even a birth!) for years in Utah before we left to travel in our Airstream. Interacting with clients, other photographers, and learning how to run my own business and handle a camera shaped a core piece of my personality and I think there will always be a bit of nostalgia there.

Living in Minneapolis, my brother’s family spends a lot of time at the lake. Baker Park is one of their favorites, so that’s where we chose to do a quick mini session one evening. During the week, the evenings there are pretty deserted, peaceful, and there’s gorgeous lighting as the sun goes down behind all the trees.  Couldn’t have asked for a better evening!

IMG_4991Love that this one shows off their personalities!

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I’m not sure I really want to push photographing professionally as we travel, but I’m definitely open to the occasional photo shoot – so let me know if we’ll be in your area!

Categories
Photo Sessions Photography

Our Family Photo Shoots: Why Photographers Need to Hire Other Photographers

I’m am one of those moms that got into photography so I could be cheap and take photos of my own kids without having to pay someone else to do it. Sad, but totally true. As I’ve progressed in my business over the last 5 years, however, I’ve learned that even though I technically could take our photos, its so much better to hire it out. A tripod and self-timer could never replace the eye and vision required by the photographer who wields the camera. There’s also the “photographer’s child” syndrome where my kids have modeled for so long they refuse to listen to anything I say. Add to that my love of lifestyle photography (vs. more posed portraits) and I’d have to be a super ninja to work that out on my own.

Thankfully I know some amazing photographers (who are also great friends), and hired them to photograph our family antics over the years. I can’t replace those photos. They are so precious to me, and so much more enjoyable ON my walls and not just on a disk on my computer. Unfortunately, I don’t have room for a 30×40 canvas in the Airstream, but a girl can dream right? I just recently printed a few more 8×10’s and 5×7’s and got them framed and up on the wall and my heart just sings every time I look at them.

Lesson? Even if you are the best photographer in the world, find someone whose work you love and hire them. Then you can just relax and be your true self. Its worth it. I promise.

November 2013 by Kylene Cleaver

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June 2013 by Kara Elmore

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November 2010 by Jami Edman

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Fall 2009 by Jami Edman

 

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Categories
Photo Sessions Photography

The Grace Family Lifestyle Photoshoot

Back in Florida I had the opportunity to photograph this amazing family! We have been friends forever and it was completely enjoyable to meet the newest addition to their family. We spent the later afternoon at a nearby park and I LOVED the lighting. Beautiful, golden sunlight streamed through the trees, happy family. 

Everything was just perfect. 

We had a great time over Thanksgiving with them, and we just found out they are moving to Washington, so hopefully we’ll get to meet up again this fall when we head to the Pacific Northwest.

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I did a lifestyle shoot with this same family back in Utah in 2011. One of the pictures turned out to be a special one, and for this shoot, they asked me to recreate the same image including their beautiful new daughter. They are getting both of them printed as canvases to go side by side on their wall.

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Categories
Photo Gear Photography

What’s in My Camera Bag

what's in my camera bag

In another life (and hopefully a future one as well) I was a professional wedding photographer. Don’t get all hung up over the word “professional”, it just means that I took photos in exchange for money. I wasn’t a “just do it for friends and family” type, or a “practice by taking photos of my kid’s friends” type of photographer, I really did get paid well to take wedding photos for some of the most amazing clients I’ve ever met.

I just wanted to preface this post with that, so when you see my list of equipment you don’t freak out. Remember, I did make quite a bit of money and a lot of that money went towards purchasing gear. Add to that the YEARS which I spent learning about light, aperture, shutter speed, and practicing capturing the “moment” and there you have my basis for the fun photos of my kids and the places we visit. Also remember that a great camera does not make a photographer. You can have the fanciest, most expensive camera around and still take really terrible photos. Some of the best photographers I know shoot some pretty awesome pictures with their camera phones (not necessarily for clients though).

Okay, so the list of equipment (all with affiliate links to Amazon – you have been disclosed):

Cameras:
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 7D

Lenses:
EF 35mm f/1.4L USM
EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
EF 70-200mm f/2.8  USM (not the version II, the older one)
EF 16-35 f/2.8 USM (wow. there’s a newer version of this one too)
EF 17-40mm f/4 USM
EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM (also not the newest version – I’ve had this one since 2008. My first L-series lens. *sniff*)
EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

Quite the list. HOWEVER, most of them sit in my LowePro X100 tucked away where I don’t even see them. I can’t remember the last time I pulled out my 35mm lens (GREAT for shooting low-lit wedding receptions however). I also have a flash bag with two 580 EXII speedlights, some Pocketwizard triggers, and various light stands, umbrellas and other lighting gear I was SURE I would need. Haven’t really touched those either.

So what do I use most?

95% of the photos taken on my blog and our in our galleries are taken with the 5D Mark II and my 16-35 f/2.8, usually shooting wide open and at 16mm. That’s it. That combo is the one I carry around with me on the Capture Pro attached to our adventure bag. Occasionally I’ll wrap up my 85mm f/1.8 lens in one of these and stash it a pocket of the adventure bag but rarely do I pull it out. If I’m feeling particularly lazy, or we won’t be gone for long, I’ll just grab my Kelly More B-Hobo bag from under the couch (where it is accessible) with my camera and two lenses and sling that over my shoulder. I also have a Black Rapid Strap stashed in there should I need it, but mostly the Capture Pro + the Cuff do just fine.

This set up is definitely not for everyone. The best advice I have if you are looking to purchase an expensive lens is to rent one. A lot of camera stores will rent, or you can find places online that will ship them to you. Two that I have used are LensProtoGo and BorrowLenses. I also wrote a blog post about the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens that is a cheaper alternative to an L-series (expensive, really nice glass). As far as cameras go, I love the Rebel Series. Most Costco’s have the newest one in stock or you can probably find a used one on Craigslist (although be careful about that) or a refurbished one from Adorama or B&H.

For my style of photography this works. My brain just thinks in wide angles. I love the extended and distorted lines it creates, I love the context and feel I get when shooting wide, and I love, love the storytelling.  That’s what I’m good it. If I had to define myself as one type of photographer it definitely wouldn’t be portrait. It would be storyteller. Which is perfect for our current adventures.