We are so excited to have Arrow Creek Photography as our Featured Photographer and Guest Judge for this week!!! Her work is absolutely gorgeous and she has one of the biggest hearts of anyone we have ever met!!
What drives your passion for photography?
My children. I try to capture casual moments of their everyday life, as well as special portraits along the way that give clues to their personalities. I want them to be able to look back and see their journey. I also hope it gives them a little piece of me to hold on to- a tangible, visual fragment of the way their mother saw them that day, and how in love with them I am. Some people say that a little of a person's soul is captured in a photograph. I think a little of the photographer's soul is as well, and I hope they will find comfort and love in that as they look back at their childhood in photographs.
Do you have a place around your home that has amazing light that you just love?
Yes, and they change depending on the time of day. The front window has golden sunlight streaming through early in the morning. The master bathroom has a very large glass block window that filters in amazing light in the afternoon, so sometimes I'll have the children sit on the edge of the bathtub for some great soft natural light.
Do you have any tips on finding light that you would like to share?
Don't be afraid to take photographs directly into the sun. You really can't miss- you'll end up with some great effects; gorgeous sun flare, a soft golden haze, or a beautiful silhouette depending on where the sun is positioned and where you select for exposure. Put your subject directly in front of the sun to get that halo of light around their head. Cloudy days even provide their own filtered light that is great for getting portraits without your subject squinting- you will get the whole eye which leads to soulful portraits. Don't forget to notice the shadows that the light leaves either- they add interest, mood, and texture to your photographs.
What is the best advice that you have received about the use of light?
Don't be afraid to break the rules, and shoot for yourself. Some people believe that sun flare is a "flaw" in a photograph, whereas I often seek out sun flare. The light that you find is yours- use it how you see fit, and always experiment. Light is fickle and guidelines won't always apply- it can bend, blind, haze, color, bleach, and change in a second with the wind. Light can be tricky to tame, and only trial and error will teach you how to use it to get the effects you are seeking. Expect that while you experiment you will fail a few times, so get down on the ground and shoot up, or stand on a chair and shoot down, or peek through a bush and find the backlit flower, or put your child on the edge of the bathtub for a portrait, and see where the light works. Light is everywhere, and once you are used to looking for it, it will begin to find you.
