Staying True to Yourself in a Shallow Sea

I'm not naturally a competitive person.  Even in the world of auditioning back when I was an active opera singer and actress, I found no pleasure in winning a role OVER others...just in winning the role because I'd have a chance to make it mine, to honor the brilliance of the composer or playwright and make the audiences FEEL something when I performed.

Photography is a little bit different.  With the right equipment and training and practice, ANYONE can be a decent photographer.  Not everyone has the God given pipes to be an opera singer or the stage presence to be an award winning actress-all the training in the world can't make you sing The Queen of the Night well.

In this camera business, however, it's all about what's in your camera bag, how you advertise and present yourself to the world, how much you have to invest,  and how many clients you ultimately have.

My photography portfolio is pretty hefty for someone who has only been pursuing it professionally for nine months.  Part of that is because I'm at home a lot, with photography as a huge focus of my day to day life.  

There's not the same instant gratification in photography.  Oh, there's the the thrill *I* get when I'm on a shoot and know there will be great photos, the excitement of the editing process, feeling sure that my clients will feel soooo good about themselves when they see the finished product.

But in a world where the only gratification is basically FB, and people on FB are constantly inundated with funny memes from George Takei, photos of everyone's kids, theatre pics, vacation photos...my pics just go into the mix like a dime a dozen.  I remember when I first set up my Gilded Lily Photography fan page...and the first group of fans came quickly and heaped on the praise lavishly for every photo I put forth.  Then it began dwindling and I had to do a LOT of publicizing and word of mouth and begging to hit even 100 fans.  And even now I am lucky if I get a few "likes" on a photo much less comments.  It makes a person doubt themselves, a lot.  For someone like me, with a lot to lose because of my extenuating circumstances, doubt myself even more.

I've noticed there are a LOT of photographers out there who don't do good work, have three times the fans, and ten times the praise that I do.  It's hard not to think that it's because I'm not great at what I do, that they must be better than I am.  But with a critical eye, I can see the flaws...the blurry images, the hasty editing (if any), the less than stellar composition.  I see the flat expressions on the faces.  I see the badly copied work of other photographers, myself included (hey, sometimes imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!)...and I know I'm not that person.  My work is always original, clean, bright, and me.

It's frustrating to see that kind of photographer get the kind of attention and praise I want.  But it doesn't make them a better photographer.  It doesn't make them have my personality, my eye for cool compositions, gorgeous color and clarity, or my ability to draw the best from my subjects.  It just means they have more superficial friends who believe in paying lip service to support their friends regardless of actual talent.

In a world where talk is cheap, our brains are saturated with new shiny things every minute of every day, and true talent is hard to see, it's difficult to hold your head up high and keep plunging ahead.  But I do.  Because I'm starting to realize that like my opera career, it's not about winning more roles or being better than the others.  It's about being the best that *I* can be, keeping my creativity, integrity, and diligence intact, and striving to be better every single day.  I'm in THIS for the long haul...just like I spent 20 years as an actress, 10 years as an opera singer, and soon to be 5 years as a blissfully happily married lady.

I don't want to be a decent photographer.  I want to be one of the for real legitimate great ones.  The one whose photos you recognize when you open a wedding magazine before you look at the photo credit.  It's going to take a lot of hard work and practice to get there, but I'm going to sure as heck try!

I want to make my viewer FEEL something when they look at my images.  :)

The Dreaded Self Portrait

So most photographers market themselves along with their talent.  Since I'm working on my new website, it seemed a perfect time to take some for myself.  I have some shots early on of me with my camera, but my husband took them in the studio, and I wanted everything on my website to be taken by me.  So today was designed as "self portrait" day.

We went to a favorite spot by a local pond and I began my little nightmare of trying to do all manual settings and focus for things that I was taking myself and couldn't correct on the spot.  With the very bright sunlight, and the shadows created by the trees, it was a frustrating trial and error period.  I had my hubby stand in for some of the shots, but at 6ft, he's 6 inches taller than I am and it's hard to gauge the right height setting just by guesstimating. :)

But after about an hour, I had some good shots that represented me (and a really sore face from smiling and laughing at myself so much) and I'm happy to say it's all over.  :)  Now I know what so many of my subjects feel when they're smiling and trying to look their best at me...and why I'm glad that I cut my session times down.  I had no idea how exhausting it was just to make faces for an hour...and many of my old headshot sessions ran 2+ hours!  For those folks...I am so sorry...I hope your faces have finally stopped hurting!

As hard as it is to be in front of the camera instead of behind it, it's really good to put your face out there.  On the internet, in this competitive world of photography, it's really hard to make a connection based just on the work and what the person has to say about their philosophy.  A good picture that represents you (and shows not only your idea of a good photo and composition) helps people at least a little bit in their decision making process.

Happy Saturday!

The Real Deal

(I got some important news yesterday and my darling hubby brought me home flowers, which I promptly photographed.  Of course.) :)

So, now that I've officially been in business for six months (SIX MONTHS!?!), I've been working on the  business side of everything.  I have a business bank account and credit card, I have a financial tracking system online, I log gas mileage, I have business cards...and I'm currently designing a more cohesive, comprehensive and user friendly website complete with blog so I can have all things in one central place.

I bought a Droid Bionic with 4G smartphone with a credit card application so that I could better run my business remotely.  I admire technology and appreciate it, even if I'm a bit of a luddite.

I made some valuable equipment purchases...in addition to the Canon 50mm 1.4, 50mm 1.8, 100mm 2.8 macro, and 70-300 telephoto lens already in my bag, today I bought a Canon 24-70mm, 70-200mm, and a wide angle 10-22mm.  And I bought a backup DSLR...a Canon Rebel T3 12.2MP (not quite as nice as my 18MP but it'll do the job in an emergency!).

I recently got a camera raincoat...basically a way to protect my camera if shooting in less than perfect weather.  It's the smart thing to do unless your camera is water sealed.  Add to that a little pop up diffuser for indoor photography and I'm ready to go. :)

I'm all set for my upcoming weddings!  Headshots are easy in terms of equipment (The camera with one portrait lens and a second portrait lens and nothin' else!) but weddings are a whole other animal and I'm shooting three this year already and one next year.  I've learned that different lenses do different things, and it's nice to have the proper selection.  I'm still drooling for a few fixed length lenses (like the 85mm 1.2, the 50mm 1.2, 24mm 1.4 and the 35mm 1.4) and my dream full frame camera (Canon Mark II) but for now, I've got what I need, like:

shootsacs, tripod, hotshoe flash, lens hoods, collapsable light deflector, umbrellas for on the spot lighting setups indoors...and let's not forget the numerous back up batteries and memory cards, camera cleaning tools and hairbands for my crazy red hair that's always getting in the way!

It's weird to have something creative that you love become something planned and businesslike, but at the same time it's exciting to have made the investment in myself and my talent.  I just hope I can live up to that investment.

Tomorrow morning I have a photoshoot...of me.  I'm taking a photo for my website's homepage banner.  It's really important for branding for people to have a face to put with the work.  Me, my dress, jean jacket, and cowboy boots will try to enjoy being the subject of a self-portrait! :)

Stylized Bridal Shoot!

I love stylized shoots!  I get great practice while creating the pictures I see in my head when envisioning brides and it helps me to be a better wedding photographer.  In a few weeks, 4 of my lovely friends and models are donning their fluffy white gowns and letting my artistic inspiration run wild.

I'm collecting different bridal things as we speak, grabbing items from my own wedding (thank you Mom & Dad for the hope chest!) and planning items that I will be making and creating.

So excited!!! :)

Trying out the Shootsac :)

Gearing up for a busy few days of shooting...tonight it's the final dress rehearsal for "Othello" at Cedar Lane Stage (it's also this fine theatre company's final production)...Saturday I'll be back at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn photographing a talented opera singer and actress, Maureen R....and then Sunday taking photos of actress and director Rebecca P.  here in Manassas.  Hoping for perfect weather and making the most of these two very photogenic beauties.

I'm psyched to have my brand new shootsac (I know, I know...it makes me giggle too!) in Deep Sea Blue on my shoulder; it fits everything I need for a standard shoot while protecting my equipment beautifully.  It's not the fabulous $200+ bag I've been wanting but for $30 you can't go wrong.  :)

Diet Coke Homage

My first professional website is near launch, and I've been working with web designers to create something simple, colorful, and user-friendly.  For the "About Me" section, I've decided to do it in pictures, not words.  So I've spent the last few weeks taking photos of things near & dear to me.  Besides my husband, puppies, and other special things, I realized that there is something that I'm just SLIGHTLY addicted to...Diet Coke.  :)  So I grabbed my trusty mini cans out of the fridge and took some fun pics, put them together in a collage, and can't wait till they're on the site.  I shared the photo with the Diet Coke page on FB and they called it "extraordinary"and asked to share it with the rest of the FB community...yay!

Supporting Local Businesses

I think all small businesses are difficult to launch.  It needs to be a mix of paid and free advertising, word of mouth, and hard work on the owner's part to get the name and/or product out there.  In this overexposed social climate, interesting things to look at and buy are a dime a dozen.  Photographers, talented and not so talented, are also a dime a dozen.  How does one distinguish oneself from the pack?

I don't have a niche quite yet.  I started out taking headshots and then moved on to families, kids, pets, products, couples, weddings, staged shoots.  I would love to focus solely on engagements/weddings, but every time I try to focus on that, I find myself drawn back to love of photographing, well, EVERYTHING!

I do love taking pics of people.  It calls to me.  Getting that secret smile, or that faraway dream, captured in the eyes.

And I love Love.  I can't help saying it.  I think when you live your own fairytale you can't help but be enamored of the romance in those around you, especially the ones caught up in the giddy excitement of planning their wedding.

Now on to the hard part...getting maximum exposure for the business without being that annoying person who is always plugging her business.  I have some really wonderful supporters and friends...those who share my FB page with their friends, who give me photo credit when I've taken their pictures that they use...the ones who mention my name when people they know are looking for a good photog...and those who link my websites with theirs.

I wish everyone could be so great and take a minute to support a small business.  I try to pass along the word to everyone I know when I have a talented friend growing a business.  I become a fan of so many different local pages.  I tried a cupcake (pictured above) from a DC Area cupcake place and it was heavenly...so I promptly snapped a shot, friended their page, and shared the photo with my delicious sentiments with my friends.  It takes me just a few minutes to do it, and no skin off my nose.  I do it without thinking what *I* will get out of it...I think that's the only way to be.

I also need to become a little more of a shark when it comes to business, I think.  It's not my nature...but it might be the best tool for swimming and making it to shore in a very full ocean.  :)

The Beautiful Brunettes

I love to shoot headshots.  For the last few weeks, I've been lucky enough to shoot several headshots for talented actors.  This weekend, I got to shoot back to back beautiful dark haired gals!  Jamie is a teen actress, making her way through school.  Samantha is an up & coming local talent, trying to break into the pro circles.

Both girls were awesome to photograph.  We worked with different backgrounds and approaches and ended up with shots that I think really capture their vibrant personalities.  Both are equally beautiful but very different, and I think that comes across in their pics.  I hope their photos bring them much success in their auditions!!!

Thanks for a blast this weekend, ladies! :)

Happy Shots

I finished four photoshoots in the last two weeks and they were all successful.  Two were headshots...one for a beautiful young actress who couldn't take a bad picture, and the other a talented established actor with a poet's face.  Both were a joy to shoot.  I like when there are too many choices instead of not enough!  :)

I also did my first professional jewelry shoot for a woman who creates amazing and unique pieces.  She needed some updates for her website and I hope I did her gorgeous work justice! 

Lastly, I met a terrific couple who interviewed me for their upcoming DC wedding.  We did a mini couples session and their love was tangible and fantastic.  Even if they don't end up picking me as their wedding photographer, I had such a lovely time meeting nice people who love each other.  And I caught a lot of that on film.  That's why I do what I do and why I love it so much.

Three of the shoots were done in the cold, rainy, gray muck that has been our area lately.  And somehow, it worked.  The people "popped" against the bleak backdrop, and everything seemed that much sharper.

I also went to NYC for the day yesterday and while I couldn't take any shots walking around, I had fun working my "NYC from the moving car" skills.  ;)

Love what you do...

Not only did I get to eat a Dove chocolate, but it provides little sayings.  The other day it told me I looked good in red...today it told me to "Love what I do"...how perfect. 

Being a photographer feels really right.  It's really hard, and sometimes it's daunting and frustrating, but I absolutely love it.  Making it a business was a scary step for me but it's been a thrilling step.  I just have to always keep sight of the fact that it must continue to be something I love and not something I have to do, a gift and a treat and not "work".  The business end of it is definitely the work part, but taking photos?  Pure joy.


I'm keeping this wrapper as a reminder to always stay true to myself and to always keep loving what I do.  :)

Preparing for a Shoot

Preparing for a shoot involves more than packing your bag with your camera and lenses.  In getting ready for a double shoot weekend, I thoroughly cleaned all of my lenses before packing them away, and then made sure my lens cleaning kit with brush, q tips and microfiber cloths were re-packed in case of on the job emergencies.  Then I charged my double battery pack AND my back up battery.  Then I packed my three memory cards.  Then I put new batteries in my hotshoe flash AND packed a back up set.

My bag also includes numerous things to hold my hair back, note cards with my prep notes for the shoot, pens, lipgloss, and random pills (NSAIDS, TUMS)...everything I need to perform to the best of my abilities.

The car also holds my tripod, portable reflectors, and an umbrella as well as a blanket for clients who don't necessarily want to sit on the ground or the pavement without protection.  I've recently ordered a rain proofing bag for my unsealed camera in case of those occasional drizzles.  I have lots of other camera accessories on my wishlist but for the time being, I'm doing the best I can. :)

It's good to feel ready.  That way, 100% of my focus can be on taking the best photos I can for my clients in a confident and fun way.

The Best Shot

(My husband Brian recreating his proposal stance the day after he proposed...7/8/06...Fairfax, VA. :) )


I was going through old photos today (as in pics taken years ago by me with a cheap point n shoot camera and no sense of photography whatsoever) but I noticed I was still a perfectionist.  I wanted to capture the person's personality so much in every shot.  I remember making people pose constantly and worrying if there might be something in the background or if the photo was blurry...you know, the days before I knew Photoshop.  :)  Now I try to capture a lot of unposed moments and finally have a camera that can keep up with someone moving a fraction of an inch. :)

There are so many factors in taking a great photo.  The weather, for one.  My favorite weather to shoot in is an overcast day.  That way, I don't have to worry about sun shadows on the face, or using a hood, or cutting a glare.  Just after the rain is also gorgeous...there's that strange brightness to the sky that gives such lovely light on the face.  In the studio, it's about the backdrop, the reflectors, hair lighting, back lighting, lighting on the face...pointing the umbrellas in the right directions!  :)

Then there's picking the right lens for the shot.  I use 5 lenses in shooting, but use two much more than the others...my 100 2.8 macro lens which doubles as a wonderful portrait lens, and my 50 1.4, which is a portrait lens and is delightful.  Sometimes I need my 70-300mm telefoto lens or my crappy fisheye for fun effects.

Then there's wardrobe, setting, making the subject comfy enough to take a really great photo.  It's fun...it's also intimidating and scary and exhilarating.  But there's passion.  I think in order to take that great photo, you have to have the passion as much as the tools.  

I have the passion.  I have the artistic eye.  It's not as edgy or as creative as some but I do think I get to the heart of the person and capture the moment in a timeless way.  Now I'm working on becoming as technically savvy as I possibly can.  And that means investing in more equipment as well as studying the pros.  I feel like a schoolgirl! ;)

I can't wait to post photos from the past year as a look back and see how I've evolved from now.  I hope I will still look back with pride, but that I will also have gained in experience and talent.  Fingers crossed! :)

Impromptu Shoot

Since I'm doing mini headshot sessions for Leagues, I thought I should brush up on my "speed shooting".  My lovely husband graciously volunteered to be my guinea pig (he'll always be my favorite face to shoot anyway!) and we found space and good light in a nearby alley.  I shot 15 shots in 10 minutes...this was shot #9.  It helps that my husband is already gorgeous and has a great face, but he also isn't terribly comfortable in front of the camera unless he's being goofy.  

I was thrilled to get a great headshot so quickly...I also enjoyed shooting outdoors using my hotshoe flash AND my ISO cranked just enough to create a wash of light without pesky noise. 

Thank you for being a great model and a wonderful husband, Mr. Doyle. :) 

Mastering the Macro

I'm shooting a friend's jewelry collection next weekend, so I've been brushing up on my macro lens skills.  I have a fun collection of cocktail rings as well as a few real pieces, so I had a great time assembling ring sculptures.

Macro shooting is a special skill.  It's not just about having the right lens (a Canon Macro f2.8) but about the right lighting, aperture, and angles.  I wish (almost) that someone had a camera of me in my studio yesterday getting just the right shots.  I had an inspiring flash of draping my own engagement and wedding rings in white lace to simulate a veil...and was sitting in the middle of my studio floor, with the rings propped in various ways on a stool, gathering three lights, holding one with my foot and knee to get just the right flash, all while taking the photo.  It paid off:

Bottom line: you have to get creative to get what you want.  Photography is hard work.  My back often aches after just a short still life shoot because I can't ask the object to move, so it's my job to capture it from every viable line of sight.  It's worth it. :)

The Inspiration Board

I get my inspiration from many places, but most often, from magazines.  I love the stylized beauty found between the glossy pages of bridal and fashion mags, the rampant creativity of the photographers and models as well as the editors.

In my studio, I have a huge corkboard.  Before I do a big shoot, I spend weeks going through the magazines searching for inspiration.  I cut out photos and fabrics and tack them to the board.  I never copy poses or settings...I just let the "feeling" inspire me. 

Last night I went through the latest magazines and made a huge stack of things that will go on the board today.  Now I'm searching for fabrics and things that will also be up there.  I love the rush I get when creating.  I can't draw or paint, but I can make magic happen with my camera.  It's exciting and fills that creative void in my soul that has been missing since I've been offstage.  Nothing can quite replace the joy that I get from singing or acting on a stage to a packed house, but I've found it comes awfully close.  I still have the same rituals, technical skills, and instinct that goes along with performing.  I think it gives my photography a little something special. :)

*And I've added a pic of the completed board.  :)

Wedding/Bridal Ads

My husband brings me home bridal magazines which I devour like fine chocolates.  I love all wedding related things...especially dresses.  And flowers.  And shoes.  And cool venues.  And vintage cars.  And...you get the idea.  I noticed recently that in magazines and online, wedding photographers tend to do either all black and white ads (cheaper in print, for sure!) or black/white with a photograph.  Since my work focuses SO much on color saturation and bright, bold jewel tones, I realized that I needed to create some ads that reflected that.  Using my beautiful model Lisa from the stylized bridal shoot, I created five ads.  I asked for input from friends and family.  I have a tendency to ask for input when I'd probably be better off working alone...I like to find out what's good/bad/appealing to a large group of people, but at the same time, I have to realize that I can't please everyone.  Yesterday was a mostly positive experience and I ended up with ads that are colorful, creative, and totally the image that I want Gilded Lily Photography to have in the wedding world.

I am shooting two weddings this year with a possibility of a third that has just arrived and I'm psyched...I can't think of anything better than helping people have a picture book of the start of the happiest days of their lives.

Photographer, Know Thy Equipment

I taught myself Adobe Photoshop nearly three years ago and I've been steadily learning more and more to help my photos really pop with either color, special effects, or unblemished perfection.  I had no idea what Adobe Lightroom was, or that it was REALLY helpful to photographers.  It wasn't until I was shooting the children's hospice event back in December that I started to wonder what on earth I'd do if my indoor, poorly lighted photos would contain too much noise to be worth a darn.  I called upon my Photog Angel, who told me of the wonders of Lightroom.  I promptly downloaded a trial and taught myself the basics and OMG...what a difference.

The two programs work like melody and harmony, perfect together.  They complement each other.  I had photos that I'd taken early on, in my studio with makeshift (read: AWFUL) lighting that weren't worth much because of either the color, exposure, or noise...with Lightroom, the editing process is so much easier and cleaner.  I've posted a headshot that I loved way back when, but hadn't edited...today, I edited in Lightroom and am thrilled with the beauty of it all.  The actress has one of the most beautiful faces I've ever seen, and her coloring is extraordinary.  Finally I feel like I can do some justice to it!

Photogs...do your research.  Make sure you know all the available programs, lighting, tools for your particular trade.  It makes all the difference in the world.

I like thinking outside the box.  And since I've decided to make couples/engagements/weddings the focus of Gilded Lily, I want new ideas.  Last night, with Brian's help, I took a macro photo of my wedding band against a favorite poem...with special lighting, a heart shaped shadow was thrown past the ring.  It makes for a really special, beautiful, and unique shot.  I want to keep doing that...find the extraordinary in the ordinary, things that will set me apart from other photographers.  I mean, other than the things like being fun, having red hair, and the ability to pinch hit an Ave Maria during your wedding ceremony if your singer doesn't show up...but I also want my photography to shine.  :)

Icy Leaf

Last night I was inspired by the small amount of snow and ice in our yard to brave the cold and take a few shots.  My friend and fellow photographer Amy had taken gorgeous pics of her various flowers and plants encapsulated in ice...I didn't have any quite so cool but as it turned out, the leaves on my favorite bush had frozen speckles.  It looked as though the leafy green was dipped in a waterfall.  I had all the perfect elements: the bush was under the lamplight, and by setting my aperture, shutter speed, and ISO accordingly, I got a cool pic.  :)

I'm a Photographer...

I've been taking pictures seriously since college.  Of course, I had a terrible camera and didn't even know the settings on my point and shoot.  But I carried it faithfully everywhere and documented every event I considered important.  Then I was the unofficial photographer for every opera, play production, etc. that I was involved in.  My love of taking pics continued through my 20s, as I merrily took pics of everyone I loved.  

Diagnosed with serious illness over the last few years, I found myself bedridden in early 2011.  I was bored to tears...doing homework for nursing classes was something, but I couldn't do my beloved theatre and couldn't work.  I'm an extremely social person by nature, and this sitting in bed was awful.  My husband Brian bought me a "real" camera...a Canon Rebel DSLR.  For the first few months, I shot completely on automatic, having no idea what any of the buttons or settings were.  I was just thrilled with the image quality.  Then Brian asked me to take his headshots for his playwriting website.  I did and really enjoyed working with him.  Then I wondered what I could do with the more advanced settings.  


So for the next month, I buckled down and learned what all the buttons meant, what aperture and shutter speed were, and how to focus manually.  It was an amazing experience.  

My long, lonely days in bed weren't so long or lonely with my trusty camera.  I shot anything and everything.  I had Facebook friends post daily challenges that I could do around the house...it gave me not only something to do but an opportunity to practice manual focus, and learn about light and angles.

I got the idea to start my own business.  I gathered several friends as guinea pigs, and from June to October, took many, many practice sessions.  People were pleased with their shots, and I was having the time of my life.  As tired as I was, I could generally handle a 2 hour photoshoot as long as I got back into bed for the editing process and didn't do anything for the rest of the day.  And sometimes the next day.  :)

I launched Gilded Lily Photography in October 2011.  For the last few months, I've done 30 headshots, a wedding, two engagements (booking two weddings for the coming year in the process), a fairytale photo shoot, a glam girl shoot, numerous kids and families and holiday cards...and it's been a wonderful, rewarding, fulfilling experience for me.  

I've always been the girl to make lemonade out of lemons...this experience has been the entire lemonade stand. :)  I have high hopes for the coming year, and am extremely excited to focus on couples, engagements, and weddings.  I love love...I think it's because I live my own fairytale every day with Brian.

I couldn't do any of it without the incredible love and support of my husband, my family, and my friends.  I can't wait to expand my business, and blog about the experience here.  I have my very own Photo Angel...an area pro photographer who is everything I aspire to be in the wedding world.  She's amazing. :)