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Posted on August 23, 2011
I am so excited to kick off my weekly “Vendor Feature Tuesday”! Over the past couple of years I have found some amazing vendors and I just can not wait to share some with you all! The vendor that I am kicking this shin-dig off with is actually a completely new vendor to me, but I am so glad I found her! She is local here in middle Tennessee and is actually from my same town{Murfreesboro}! Cuddle Bug Gifts has some amazingly cute boutique style clothing! The awesome thing about this feature/giveaway is that it is not only for photographers, but mothers to little girls as well! I hope you all enjoy browsing around her shop and please be sure to enter the giveaway below to win a super cute outfit from Cuddle Bug Gifts!
{Size is 6 months to 5T, FREE SHIPPING!}
Use the widget below to enter! Please note, I will be checking to make sure that the winner has followed all rules for entry! If the winner has not completed all necessary tasks, a new winner will be drawn!
Posted on August 14, 2011
I had a few requests for a tutorial on the DTP Beautify action, so of course I had to oblige my amazing fans and get one together! I hope you enjoy it! =)
Buy it HERE: http://dtpactions.bigcartel.com/product/beautify-duo-pack
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Posted on August 14, 2011
I am soo excited to share this feature/giveaway with you all! Photo Prop Floors & Backdrops offers a HUGE variety of designs for faux floors and backdrops! You are pretty much guaranteed to find exactly what you are looking for! & they are adding new designs all the time.
I am currently the owner of 4 gorgeous backdrops from Photo Prop Floors and Backdrops, I wish that number was MUCH higher! I have ordered from other companies and let me just tell you…the quality is no where NEAR as good! Not to mention PPFB customer service is top notch! If you haven’t worked with this company before, I highly suggest them! I will never use another backdrop company again!
PPFB has been kind enough to donate this awesome backdrop/floordrop duo to one lucky winner!
ENTER USING THE WIDGET BELOW! =)
{Please note- I WILL be checking to make sure the winner has followed all the rules for entry. If a winner is chosen and it is found that they have not completed all the steps, I will draw a new winner.}
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Posted on August 12, 2011
I have admired Kristen’s work for quite some time, so when she agreed to do an interview for Fotog Feature Friday I guess it is safe to say I was pretty excited! Kristen has some amazing talent and I think you will all agree! So I won’t keep you waiting…here she is, Kristen Weaver!
Kristen Weaver is an award winning, international wedding and fashion photographer. She moved from Northeast Ohio to Florida in 2003 to go to college and pursue a career in advertising design and marketing. After meeting her fiance in 2006, she moved to Orlando and went in to the photography business full time in 2009. Her business quickly flourished, booking over 25 weddings during her first year. Her work can be see in print and online blogs including Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, Style Me Pretty, Southern Weddings, Dujour Magazine, Remedy Magazine UK, Orlando Weddings, Orlando Style, Every Last Detail to name a few. She is also celebrating her first year as a selected Grace Ormonde Platinum Photographer.
How long have you been shooting? There’s a long and a short answer to this. I’ve been playing with cameras for about as long as I can remember. I don’t remember what initially got me started, but I’ve always been the one taking the pictures of friends, at school dances and parties. I have this love for reminiscing, so I loved having photos of the important people in my life. To this day, those photographs remain one of my most prized possessions (along with a slew of photos of my grandparents from the 20’s that my mom saved for me). In college, I picked up the camera for part of a graphic design project and that started my slow climb in to fashion portraiture. I applied for a job as a wedding assistant during my senior year of college for some extra cash and actually didn’t like it! I went on to follow my college-career path in advertising, and eventually started shooting again for a friend’s wedding. Once I realized I could combine everything I loved about knowing my clients personally, with everything I loved about wedding photography – I was hooked! I officially started my business in October 2009 after being laid off from my job as a marketing director with a homebuilder that was closing. It was a huge jump for me – but one I’ll never regret making!
What made you want to become a photographer? I’m not sure if it was one thing in particular…. There was never really this magic moment that I realized it was what I needed to be doing. More like a slow love that grows on you as time passes. Like that guy that really annoyed you when you first met him, and now you find yourself marrying him …. Something like that!
What does Photography mean to you? It’s about remembering moments. Remembering life, relationships and details that become the most important things in your world. It’s about truly knowing and loving my clients as my friends, and getting to share their beauty with others.
What struggles have you faced along the road to the success you now have? I think every day, every event and every client presents their own struggles. Big or small, they help me to build my passion and my business to become more successful as a photographer, but more importantly, as a person. There are times that I just don’t feel like shooting – creatively I’m stuck, or just having an off day. Those are the days that I have to remember how important this moment is to my client and I need to bring my best creative effort to their shoot.
What’s in your bag? All Nikon gear – 2 D700 bodies with grips, 2 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.4, 105mm 2.8, 35mm 1.4 and my 14-24mm 2.8. I love prime lenses!
What is your favorite piece of gear? My 85mm 1.4 – I could pretty much shoot an entire wedding on it.
Where do you draw your inspiration? From my clients, fashion magazines and the environment around me. When Alyssa and I start any wedding, I give her a little run-down of how we’re going to shoot the wedding. Are we focusing on the amazing details of a platinum wedding, the emotion of our first deaf wedding, or the environment of a gorgeous destination event. We pow-wow on how we’re going to approach each event so the photos are as individual as the couple.
Which photographer, if you had to just pick one, would you say inspires you the most? I think it would be Jose Villa. I’m just in love with his passion for the art of photography.
What is your favorite subject to work with? I love working with couples – engagement sessions, weddings or just random “just-because” sessions. I also love seniors! They’re so excited about photos and I love how they experiment with fashion. Since I have some background in fashion, I tend to get clients who share that love with me – and I find that to be really fun!
What advice would you give to beginners in the photography business? Really get a handle on the business side of things. If you just want to be a hobbyist, that’s fine – but if you’re looking at going in to photography as a full-time, life-supporting career, you have to make sure you’re covered legally.
Kristen would really love to share her organization with you – Images for a Cure (www.imagesforacure.com – registration for photographers starts August 1 and ends on the 31st. She would also love to see everyone join her social network where she chats live & shares tips and tricks! It is a great place for learning! www.kristenweaver.ning.com.
Also, while you are at it, be sure to check out her other links:
Website: http://www.kristenweaver.com
Blog: http://www.kristenweaverblog.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kristenweaver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristenweaverphotography
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Posted on August 6, 2011
It is such an absolute amazing honor to feature this photographer on my blog! Kathleen Amelia is the main photog who really inspired me to follow my dreams and pursue photography! Katie is a young photographer, like myself, and I respected her so much for just going after her dream and making it happen! Not to mention she creates BEAUTIFUL photos! I really hope you all enjoy learning a little more about her as much as I did! So here she is, Kathleen Amelia:
Katie is a wife and mother to a beautiful little girl. She is a kind hearted, fun loving, down to earth, easy going, metal head, silly, happy person that loves life, art and photography. Her home is filled with other artists’ paintings and drawings. She loves movies, and books, traveling, going to antique shops & thrift stores, eating at a good restaurant, and spending time with my family. Straight from the mouth of miss Kathleen Amelia herself! ; )
What does Photography mean to you? This is going to sound cliché, but everything!!! And I don’t just mean the photographs I am taking. I love looking back on photographs that my parents had taken of me and my sisters when we were kids, and what life was like back in the day. I think that is why I love photography so much, because one day I hope that the photos I take can be shared with people from years to come. Ahhhh, memories =]
What struggles have you faced along the road to the success you now have? From the very beginning I faced struggles – but I think the biggest challenge happened 3 years ago. My husband Jimmy, (who is my biggest supporter) got dropped from Sniper School with one week left. The instructor had ordered an eye exam, because he couldn’t see what others could. In turn, we were making countless trips to Duke University for his appointments. I was just 3 months pregnant when we found out he was going blind. Miraculously, Jimmy was able to stay in the Marine Corps – and we are so thankful everyday for that. Something changed that day in me, where I was going to be the best that I could with photography – because you never know what will happen in life. He is my biggest inspiration to do better everyday.
Name one photography trend that drives you insane! I think we are all guilty of it at some point, but the whole selective coloring thing. Haha.
Any secret, tips, or tricks for getting that perfect shot? I really like to communicate with my clients. I think it helps a lot when you are trying to get “the” shot. I am always coming up with new ideas, and I love that my clients trust me enough to make it happen.
What is your favorite subject to work with? Couples in love. I love love.
What advice would you give to beginners in the photography business? We have all been there! Don’t be afraid to try new things, take your camera everywhere with you, practice, get a solid feel for who you are as an artist, and people will come to you.
Be sure to check out more of Kathleen Amelia’s work at the following links:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kathleen-Amelia-Photographer/167148887306
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