Many of you know that I have spent the past couple of years finding my voice in the portrait world. I was a full time wedding photographer for five solid years, and enjoyed meeting talented and creative people from the Boston area (and reaching as far away as Bulgaria, England, Ireland, and Kenya for some incredible wedding commissions). For the record, I still consider international commissions and will photograph for good friends getting married, but I have shifted my daily focus to photographing families and creative individuals in an artful style.
I rented out a studio in Massachusetts last year and enjoyed having a place to shoot during the cold New England winter months — but I found that the consistency of the venue was leading to a routine type of photography that did not fire up my neurons and inspire my soul. I’m not the kind of person who enjoys putting different people into the same configuration year in and year out.
After some months away from the camera, I find I am better able to articulate my vision for photography. In a time when it is easier than ever for individuals to start a side business and try out their amateur skills on friends and family, we also see a proliferation of mall studios doing the “kid on a backdrop” thing. You can get your cute monthly portrait there, and it will please the grandparents and fill out the photo album. No arguments here.
What I argue for, and aim to provide, is the investment in a yearly or biannual family portrait session with an experienced photographer who can document your family in a way that is real and beautiful. Someone to make images that inspire you. A portrait session where you walk away with 2 images framed large and ready to pass down instead of a disc full of digital files that may never make it off your computer. And I don’t mean “inspiring” in the hackneyed sense, but creative photos that fire up your neurons — images you want to frame and display on your walls. The type of photography that makes you sigh and tear up, because you know the images will withstand the test of time and technology.
I’m still on the cusp of deciding whether to move toward only classic black and white image production (we currently offer this for our artist headshots and boudoir), but… I have to admit, the color of life remains a strong pull. I still have a few nuances to work out now that my husband and I have relocated to Portland, Oregon.
As my sabbatical draws to a close, I am looking forward to the final months of 2010 as a time to reflect on things that matter and enjoy time with loved ones.
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you on my upcoming trip to Boston where I’ll be doing family portraits and artisan headshots.
