Amy said "I would love to learn composition/posing. And, just about everything."
Congrats Amy! Email me at jlpinkerton@cox.net to claim your prize!
Be sure to visit Clickin' Moms to learn about all the great photo goodness they have to offer!
Name: deb schwedhelm
Business name: deb schwedhelm photography
Location: soon-to-be tampa (we’re moving from KS to FL in july)
Website/blog:
website -- http://debsphotographs.com/
blog -- http://www.debsphotographs.com/photoblog/
Tell us one sentence to describe your photography:
i would describe my photography as evocative and raw with an infusion of passion and beauty. i often wonder if others would describe it similarly. i hope so.
What's one thing that everyone should know about you?:
i love my family more than anything else in this world and would do anything for them -- i am blessed and grateful!. i hope i make them happy and proud.
Do you have any formal training or are you self taught?:
i am completely self taught, although i have attended a few workshops here and there. in 2006, we fell into $5000 because of an unfortunate military housing situation. i asked my husband what he thought about me using that money to pursue photography (i had always dreamed that i would day go to photography school and become a photographer). he said, go for it! i did and have never looked back. i studied photography books, online resources, forums...anything i could get my hands on at the time.
If they made a movie about your life what would it be titled and who would play you?
oh my gosh...that’s so hard. i’ve had people tell me i should write a book about my childhood, but i’ve never thought about a title. hmmm...maybe it would call it the outlier. i don’t know who would play me as a child, but my friend, steph beaty, said maggie gyllenhaal would be perfect to play me as an adult.
What does beautiful mean to you?
beauty, for me, comes from within; i find things ‘beautiful’ when they touch or speak to my heart for one reason or another.
One item in your life that you couldn't live without is:
my family. is that an item? ;-) but seriously, i could not live without my family.
What is your greatest post processing tip that you are willing to share?:
understand the power of the basics before getting into actions, e.g. curves, levels, layers, etc. actions should not be thought of or used as one-button wonders.
If you could photograph a celebrity (living or dead) who would it be and why?:
i would love to photograph helen keller -- what an incredible and inspiring woman!
What have you found to be the best resources and/or method of advertising?:
without a doubt, word-of-mouth!! provide a great product and treat your clients the way they deserve to be treated and they will advertise for you.
What is something that can always be found in your refrigerator?
skim milk. my kids love their morning cereal and i hear lots of grumbling if the milk has run out. i try to always have a gallon on back-up.
What equipment do you use and if you had only one lens to use...what would it be?:
i recently switched from canon to nikon, for the second time so my current equipment is:
nikon D700
nikon 50mm f/1.2G
nikon 28-70mm f/2.8
lensbaby composer
SX-70 polaroid
i’d have to say that my lens of choice (at the moment) is my 50mm f/1.2. that might change later. i really love both my 50mm and 28-70mm.
What has been your most embarrassing professional moment?
i must have had an embarrassing professional moment but i can’t recall it right now. i’m sure as soon as i submit this, i’ll be like, oh yea...
What was your first paid session like? Were you nervous? Did it turn out how you wanted?
funny enough, one of my very first paid sessions was steph beaty and her family (husband and newborn, liam at the time). she was a referral from carrie sandoval. was i nervous? hell yes! i started my business six months after i picked up a DSLR for the first time -- way too early. i even pulled out an alien bee at the session and shot with it for a while, which was crazy because i had only practiced with it a couple times and didn’t really know what i was doing (haven’t used it since). i think i panicked a bit. lol. here’s a shot from their session, which i still love:
Is there a song that inspires you and lifts your spirits when you hear it?
not really a song but rather artists. when i’m longing to get inspired, i’ll listen to music that makes me happy. i typically default to bright eyes, dave matthews, kings of leon, johnny cash and edward sharpe & the magnetic zeroes.
What is at the top of your wish list right now?:
a smooth move to tampa (my eighth move). we moved to kansas, knowing it was a one-year tour – my husband is an explosive ordnance disposal officer in the navy. the most challenging part of moving is transferring my 13-year-old to a new school. she’s deaf with a cochlear implant and every state’s schools are different; therefore, i have to re-advocate for kiele, with each and every move. she uses CART in the classroom, which is pretty progressive for oral deaf/hard-of-hearing children; very few middle and high school students use CART across the country. some districts are more receptive than others; we’ve definitely experienced our fair share of good and bad.
p.s. i hope you didn’t mean my photography wish list.
Who is the first photographer that comes to your mind and why?
leah zawadzki because we talk on the phone about 5-10 times every day and we just launched our second wallflower friends workshop together yesterday.
Do you use actions or presets? If so, what are your favorites?:
i use bits and pieces of actions and presets and then add my own stuff. my editing changes regularly and often revolves around my mood.
some of my favorites are lilyblue’s (leah zawadzki), child’s play’s (peta mazey) and wynona robison’s.
If we surprised you at your house today, what would be the first thing we would notice?
you’d notice that my cute dog, charley, just piddled all over your feet.
What photography based organizations do you belong to?
PPA
NAPP
ASMP
give ten project
And lastly.....when we started the maternal lens all of us filled out this questionnaire and shared our answers....now it's your turn :)
What is your favorite word? love
What is your least favorite word? hate
What turns you on creatively spiritually or emotionally? happiness and (inner) beauty
What turns you off creatively spiritually or emotionally? mean or rude people
What sound or noise do you love? my kids’ laughter
What sound or noise do you hate? repetitive noises drive me crazy; for example, the constant tapping of a pencil.
What is your favorite thing to say when you get mad? when my kids aren’t around, it’s a cuss word that starts with an F.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? i would love to someday be very active in a charitable organization.
What profession would you not like to do? one of those people who has to gather animals for slaughter. it’s terrible to even think about, although i sometimes do, ever since watching food, inc.
If Heaven exists what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? welcome and thanks for being such a good person. we’re so happy you’re here!
Here's what Clickin' Moms had to say...
Clickin’ Moms was founded by a professional photographer named Kendra to support us in our creative journey. The Clickin’ Moms have the same passion for photography that you have, they have questions about photography, just like you, and they want to improve their photos, just like you.
Some Clickin’ Moms are beginners with point and shoots, others are successful professionals. Some are wondering which camera to buy as their first DSLR, others are looking for forms, documents and advice to use in their new photography businesses. No matter what your skill level, you will find someone who can provide a quick answer to your photography or post-processing question.
And, as far as inspiration goes, you will find volumes of it at Clickin’ Moms. Wander around the beautiful user created galleries - some just might be accompanied by a tutorial on how to duplicate shot or create the effect in Photoshop. And if there isn’t a tutorial, odds are that the member who took the picture would be happy to share some tips.
Learn technical stuff like how to use your flash in the Lighting forum or host your own tutorial on something you have mastered. Or, take one of the hugely successful Clickin’ Moms workshops. Rock Your Camera 101, 201 and Finding the Light have all been nearly instant sell-outs and have gotten stellar reviews.
So, no matter where you are in your photography journey, take some time to explore all the resources available to you at Clickin’ Moms.
Enter to win a free 6 month subscription (a $30 value)!!
1st entry: visit Clickin' Moms and read all about what they have to offer, then come back and leave us a comment to tell us what you would love to learn most about photography.
Thank you to Deb Schwedhelm for this very inspiring photo of the day!
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