Interview with................the marvelous Heather Floyd!!

How would you describe yourself in three sentences?

   I am good. I am kind. I am important. (not conceited really...I just have to keep telling myself this...)

What sparked your passion for Photography?

   My mother. She made her own darkroom and I always wanted to take photos like her. 

What’s in your camera bag?

    I have a Canon 60D, 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8, kit lens 18-135mm, speedlite 270 EX II (only used once...). I hate my bag so I won’t mention what it is. lol

What Camera/Equipment did you start out with?

    My Minolta Film camera :)

If you could only use one lens an entire session which one would you choose and why?

    My 85mm. I don’t know why. Thats the one I used for my last session. :)

What advice would you give your “just starting out self”?

    Do more PBing and take it easy on the “comparing yourself to others”. That just sucks and is not how to get yourself motivated. 

Biggest “Wow, what was I thinking?!” edit fiasco?

     I may have a couple but really can’t think of one yet. I actually like the way I edit all my photos. I know my color may be of or whatever (now that I know better) but I am still always drawn to these images as a part of my journey and I love them still. 

Current Photog crush?

    I have been drawn to Lisa Lucky in the past and now I am drawn to Tara Whitney. Too many to count but those are current faves.

If you could photograph absolutely anyone who would it be dead or alive?

    Anybody sexy...hehe like famous actors. Zac Efron or some other hotty. BUT...if you actually knew me you would know that I could NEVER DO THIS...

Describe your style in 3 words.

   Natural. Happy. Innocent. That’s actually really hard for me to do. I don’t think these actually work but its the best I can do. 

Best photography purchase? My Canon 60D 

Worst? My speedlite (so far just because I haven’t touched it and I thought it would help me sooo much. lol)

Any Photography related Goals for 2013?

    Originally I wanted this to be “make CMPro” but now I don’t know. I think now it would be something like- just to be relaxed in my business and work hard in silence. 

   

What’s your most recent “Ah HA!” moment related to photography?

   Most recent? I have had MANY but the most recent would be that no matter how many classes you take- nothing makes you better but you. 

Biggest Photography related insecurity?

    Everything...

What kind of Camera bag do you rock?

    No comment. LOL No- its just a Lowepro bag. I actually had to look. 

What do you think your next photography related investment will be?

    I know that tonight I will be purchasing my new remote for my camera to rock my new selfie challenge coming up.

If you had to recommend ONE thing that a photographer needs, what would that be?

    An openness to learn new things and realize that you don’t know everything. Don’t be cocky and share your knowledge with others.

What would you say your biggest muse is?

     I know I should say something like my kids here but...Jennifer Cross Nobriga. No really...its true! I look at her work daily and try to be like her. 

Are you in or plan to be in business?

   I am in business. If you want to call it that. :) Its still a constant work in progress. 

Favorite Color: BLUE

Favorite food or recent yummy recipe? Hmmm...I have too many but I think Challah Bread with homemade Apple Butter? Yummm...

(Link?)http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/challah.html

Biggest guilty pleasure: Watching WAY TOO MUCH TV. 

Pet Peeve: slow drivers...

Current favorite song? I constantly have about 3 songs going on in my head at all times. So this is hard for me. But anything by Adele or Mumford and Sons. Going back Old School would be anything from the Mary Poppins Movie.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

  A Veterinarian

One thing no one knows about you is:

   I suck. No really...I do. I do everything half assed. (Excuse my language.) Its probably my ADD (although I have never been officially diagnosed! lol)

Pc or Mac: MAC!!

Lightroom Or Photoshop:

  Lightroom and PSE

If you could travel anywhere it would be: The East Coast in the Fall or New York at Christmas.

Favorite photo ever taken: This one is hard. Really hard.

Raw or Jpeg: RAW

Favorite Quote:

  Don’t cry because it is over. Smile because it happened. Dr Seuss. (I cry every time...)

And one more!

   I am not arguing with you. I am simply explaining why I am right. (from a t-shirt)

Most valued material possession: I guess I will say my camera. I value all my personal possessions because I know what its like to lose them when you have nothing else left. 

  

Coffee or Tea: NEITHER! Yuck.

If you could photograph a Celebrity who would it be?

  Theador Geisel. (Dr Seuss) Just to say I had met him. 

     

***And because I LOVE Inside The Actor’s Studio:

What is your favorite word? OMG! (Yes I know that is technically three...)

What is your least favorite word? F*** bomb. Totally unnecessary for daily living. 

What turns you on? Watching sappy love movies.

What turns you off? My DH asking me to do ANYTHING I don’t feel like doing at the time. 

What sound do you love? My daughter’s laugh

What sound do you hate? My kids talking too loud and screaming/whining

What is your favorite curse word? I don’t curse too often but when I do its pretty mild. Dumb Ass, SHIT sometimes comes out too but I just try really hard not to. 

What profession other than yours (and photographer) would you like to attempt?

   The idea of being a singer appeals to me because I love to sing (and people have told me I am good- but I believe in more of the “wow my family thinks I am so good!! I should try for American Idol!!” good- not REALLY good. Ya know. I would never actually want that job though because it is a lot of work and I couldn’t be the kind of mom I want to be with that lifestyle.

What profession would you not like to do? Work with POOP. Or dead bodies. Or humans...Well that counts out pretty much everything now doesn’t it?

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

  Welcome- you have done good my child. 

Interview with the Delightful, Cheryl Furlong!

How would you describe yourself in three sentences?

Hmm, I’m very honest, but not like blunt honest, more like ‘Oopps, you’ve just given me too much change honest, and I can not lie’.  I’m loyal, a people pleaser, I always try to see the best in everyone and I am huge daydreamer.

What sparked your passion for Photography?

I have always taken photos since a child, I love looking at them.  I used to love the trip into town to go and collect my photos, then looking through them and creating photo albums.  I love looking at old photo albums too.   I lusted for ages wanting a big proper camera and always on my bucket list list of things to do and see, is always written ‘learn how to take amazing pictures’.  I got my camera and then not long after discovered CM. 

What’s in your camera bag?

My Camera, Canon 600d, it’s 18-55mm Kit lens, and a 50mm 1.8 lens.  Hmm it’s quite a little list, must get working on adding to that!

What Camera/Equipment did you start out with?

I’ve only had point and shoot camera’s before this, first film ones, then digital.  I actually still have all the cameras I have ever owned, I cannot bear to throw them away.

If you could only use one lens an entire session which one would you choose and why?

I guess my 50mm lens, I don’t really like my kit lens a huge amount, I would love a 35mm lens though, if I had one of those then I would definitely choose that one.

What advice would you give your “just starting out self”?

Practice, Practice and Practice.... 

Biggest “Wow, what was I thinking?!” edit fiasco?

Maybe not editing, I used to have a really old version of PSE but all i could do was correct red eye.  Now i have Lightroom and new PSE so hopefully I won’t have too many bad ones.

Current Photog crush?

Ginger Unzueta, I adore every picture she takes and Sue Bryce I find her incredibly inspirational too.

If you could photograph absolutely anyone who would it be dead or alive?

I wish both my nan’s were still alive, so I could photograph them, I would of love to do a photograph of generations with them, my mum, me and my sister and my 2 girls.   Famous people maybe someone really cool like Audrey Hepburn or James Dean.

Describe your style in 3 words.

Well I would like it to be.... Happy, light, real.

Best photography purchase? Worst?

My camera.... Not worst but I have been a bit addicted to buying breakouts from the Clickin Mom’s store then not really doing anything with them.

Any Photography related Goals for 2013?

Ha,  to catch up and keep up with my 365 and maybe take another workshop but I’m really not sure which one though.

What’s your most recent “Ah HA!” moment related to photography?

Well apart from learning to shoot manually and understand the exposure triangle, DoF and all the other things we learnt in BDBCE.  I think the next ah-ha moment is that you can completely transform an image from nothing to something by editing.

Biggest Photography related insecurity?

That I’ll be rubbish forever, I might never find my ‘style’, oh and posting pictures for cc. 

What kind of Camera bag do you rock?

A crappy black one, that is well padded (in-case kids decide to play with it) which is a complete pain in the backside to take out with me.  Actually this is probably my worst purchase!!

What do you think your next photography related investment will

be?

Erm, maybe a workshop, if I can stop making impulse purchases of breakouts.  I dream that I win some lottery money though, then it would be a ton of workshops, new camera and a whole bunch of lenses.

If you had to recommend ONE thing that a photographer needs, what would that be?

1)  To love taking photo’s.

2)  Patience because it takes time to learn.

What would you say your biggest muse is?

Probably the photographers I admire and my crazy little girls, because they are just crazy.

Are you in or plan to be in business?

I daydream about being in business.  I’m not sure if I will though, maybe but if I did I’d like it to kind of start organically rather than planning to jump in with both feet.

Favourite Color

Always Blue

Favourite food or recent yummy recipe? (Link?)

Erm where to start, Roast Beef with Yorkshire puddings and loads of veg, Chip Shop chips wrapped in newspaper with loads of salt and vinegar, strawberries, Mr Whippy ‘Ice Cream Van’ Ice Cream.

Biggest guilty pleasure:

Pinterest, Clickin Mom’s, Facebook, Chocolate.

Pet Peeve:

Jobsworths  (editor's note: I had no idea what this was...so off to Wikipedia I went: link)

Current favourite song?

Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines

Daft Punk – Get Lucky

Naughty Boy – La La La

What did you want to be when you grew up?

To work with Horses, be a riding teacher.

One thing no one knows about you is:

I’m fascinated with finding my true self.  I love Psychology and in-sight into different ways of life.

Pc or Mac:

Laptop – not Mac

Lightroom Or Photoshop:

Lightroom and Photoshop Elements which I’ve loaded but never opened up.

If you could travel anywhere it would be:

Oh gosh If I could go back to Thailand I’d be a happy girl or Maldives, Dubai...  I will 100% go to Australia one day, other places I would love to travel to include Cambodia, Vietnam, Bali, I will do an African safari too, San Francisco, Hawaii would be cool too.   Oh there’s just too many places to choose from!

Favourite photo ever taken

I love ones I took prior to acquiring new found knowledge of how to take a photo, I think maybe sometimes they are getting worse because I'm thinking so much but since I have been learning to shot manually I think maybe my daughter being Princess Kate or her goofing around in my sunglasses.

Raw or Jpeg:

Jpeg – Raw nearly ate up my whole hard drive, so until I get an external one, Its little old Jpeg.

Favourite Quote:

A Man’s home is his Castle, until the Queen comes home!   I love that one!!!

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory – Dr Seuss

Don’t be pushed by your problems, be led by your dreams – Ralph Waldo Emmerson

Most valued material possession:

My Jewellery, my photo’s, my Iphone – that’s a bad one isn’t it?

Coffee or Tea:

Oh yuck, I hate both, I can’t stand looking at them or the smell, nothing!

If you could photograph a Celebrity who would it be?

Will I Am – he is pretty quirky, Robin Thicke, yeah he would have to be close to naked!  oh Brad Pitt too, definitely back in the days of Fight Club, Johnny Depp, no words need to be said, he is just crazy cool, swoon!

***And because I LOVE Inside The Actor’s Studio:

What is your favorite word?

Erm I try to mix them up a bit, lovely could be a bit over used though.

What is your least favorite word?

Nasty swear words or racist ones.

What turns you on?

Cheekiness

What turns you off?

Arrogance

What sound do you love?

My children laughing and saying I love you.

What sound do you hate?

grinding teeth

What is your favorite curse word?

Bloody, but I like ‘for fuck’s sake’ too and bollocks has some Oomph when needed.

What profession other than yours (and photographer) would you like to attempt?

I’m driven by learning new things, so I have idea that if I'm a little old lady who has lived a full life doing a little of this and that I’d be happy, but it is so expensive to keep trying out new stuff, so I just dream about it.  Psychologist, interior designer, boutique owner, pub/restaurant, wedding event organizer  party planner.

What profession would you not like to do?

Undertaker

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Welcome, your loved ones are just inside.

Interview with the stupendous, Seija Kenn!!

TODAY, WE HAVE THE PLEASURE OF LEARNING MORE ABOUT MISS SEIJA KENN!! 

How would you describe yourself in three sentences?

I am very easy going, up-for-anything, genuine, self confident person.  I'm a pretty straight shooter, but tries not to be offensive in leaving out the sugar coating on my words.  I'm also extremely practical, a bit thrifty (okay, just plain cheap) and very logical lady.  

What sparked your passion for Photography?

Truth be told, I need to be extensively involved in both things academic and creative to be balanced in life.  About 2 years ago, after having my daughter, I realized I needed to buy a 'real' camera.  I needed to document these years of our life better.  I needed a new creative outlet.  And heavens knows I needed another expensive hobby.  (hehehe)  I had taken B&W photography in college and knew I'd love getting into it, but was pretty hesitant, because I knew I'd get way into it.  I did clickin mom trial week (free) twice before I plunged because I know I'd spend way to much time on that website if I joined and want to spend way too much money.  I was right, but I don't regret it.  

What’s in your camera bag?

Nikon D7000.  I have 35mm 1.8G and 85mm 1.8G lenses.  I also have two old sigma lens from my film camera in college- the equivalent of the kit lens and kit tele zoom (70-300) but really only use these for the macro feature every once in a while.  They just don't compare in quality to my Nikon primes.

What Camera/Equipment did you start out with?

Nikon D5100 with the kit lens.  I just sold that to a coworker to upgrade to my D7000.  I'd love to go FF someday, but it'll be a bit until I can justify that purchase.

If you could only use one lens an entire session which one would you choose and why?

Hands down my 85.  I love that lens.  I want a FF camera so I can have a little more space with it, but it's still my favorite.  

What advice would you give your “just starting out self”?

I feel like I am still my 'just starting out self' but I would say to invest in education before equipment.  It takes a little knowledge to know what you need/want and I think makes you grow faster when you know a little something before buying really expensive equipment. 

Biggest “Wow, what was I thinking?!” edit fiasco?

I've never been much into tons of editing, so I think my biggest editing fiasco is not editing at all!  

Current Photog crush?

I actually don't spend a lot of time looking at other people's work aside from what I see posted from you ladies so I'm not sure.  I like when photography looks effortless.  I like people who do that.  :)  

If you could photograph absolutely anyone who would it be dead or alive?

um...I don't really know...

Describe your style in 3 words.

Clean. Genuine. Natural. at least that's what I want it to be. :)

Best photography purchase? Worst?

Best: Clickin mom membership and classes.  

Worst: I tend to over-reasearch purchases, so most of my regret is from not buying earlier.  I bought a camera bag off etsy though.  I don't love it.  It's just not me- too cute and not practical enough.  It barely holds my stuff and it uncomfortable to tote around.   

Any Photography related Goals for 2013?

I really want to take my photos from 'mom with camera takes snapshots around the house' to intentional shots that are frameworthy.  I'm on my way, but realized I really have a lot more to learn.  I feel like I'm just starting to have a vision of a shot and be able to execute it, rather than shoot a like mad and say a prayer.  I hope by New Years I'll be totally done with the shoot like mad stage. 

What’s your most recent “Ah HA!” moment related to photography?

I was reading something about the quality and direction of light when I realized, that's what I'm missing!  I don't always see this until after I take the photo, I'm not sure how to learn to see this either... Ah ha- i must take a class.  :)

Biggest Photography related insecurity?

Trying to do creative edits.  No clue as to what I'm doing or why if I try one.  

What kind of Camera bag do you rock?

That dumb Etsy one.  I'm thinking of a Crumpler one (used, because I'm cheap, remember?)  Not cute, but I think more practical.  

What do you think your next photography related investment will be?

Can I give you a list?  :)  I'm planning on taking more classes, starting with Intro to Natural Light in September.  I'd like to take another class or two after that, but I'm not sure what the best fit will be yet.  I'd also really like to try an ultrawide lens.  I think I could really get into landscape photography and would like to give it a try.  I also want a new camera bag...sigh, the list goes on.  

If you had to recommend ONE thing that a photographer needs, what would that be?

A reason to want to take pictures.  That's it. Well, probably a camera too. :)

What would you say your biggest muse is?

probably my daughter.  I love toddler-hood and want to preserve it best I can while still encouraging her to grow.  I'm sure my son will be next up as my muse, but he's a little small yet.

Are you in or plan to be in business?

nope, no plans either.  

Favorite Color: 

green

Favorite food or recent yummy recipe? (Link?) 

I love to eat.  Cookies are good.  As is fruit.  I'm pretty much just into anything with high sugar content- refined or natural.  

Biggest guilty pleasure:

facebook with you ladies and surfing CM

Pet Peeve:

people with feelings of entitlement

Current favorite song?

all i listen to is kids music, i swear...  not sure

What did you want to be when you grew up?

this changed weekly but an author or artist was usually pretty high on the list

One thing no one knows about you is:

I throw pottery.  I actually have a full pottery studio in my garage, wheel, kiln, glazes, the works.  I had multiple miscarriages before our daughter was born, this was my therapy.  I sold my pottery at local shows and fairs.  I love doing it, but it's a lot of time, so I look forward to returning to that when my kids are a little bigger.  (told you I don't need more expensive hobbies) (photo from long ago...)

Pc or Mac:

MAC

Lightroom Or Photoshop:

lightroom.  I don't have photoshop... :(

If you could travel anywhere it would be:

Finland.  It's where my dad's family is from.  

Favorite photo ever taken

Raw or Jpeg:

Raw.  I need the ability to fix everything I mess up after I click the shutter!

Favorite Quote:

....er....um....

Most valued material possession:

my photos? 

Coffee or Tea:

coffee 

If you could photograph a Celebrity who would it be?

The newest little prince- I'd take a crappy picture and still sell it for millions.

***And because I LOVE Inside The Actor’s Studio:

What is your favorite word?

inspire

What is your least favorite word?

...???...

What turns you on?

brown eyes and loose curls

What turns you off?

bad attitude

What sound do you love?

my daughters laughter

What sound do you hate?

nails on chalkboard

What is your favorite curse word?

shit

What profession other than yours (and photographer) would you like to attempt?

hum...blogger- is that even a profession?

What profession would you not like to do?

deal with stock market- yuck

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

welcome.  you did good kid, you did good.