Category Archives: Interviews

Inspiration in Full Bloom

She couldn’t help herself as she picked up her brush, opened some acrylic paint, spread out a big roll of paper and let it flow. Tamara Knight suddenly brought a full floral backdrop collection to life, full of romantic color and graceful strokes as she imagined a lovely subject placed in front, ready to be preserved in a portrait of lasting signifigance.

I watched the whole thing unfold, you see, it all happened in a little group of 20,000 + members on Facebook for glamour photographers I co-founded in January 2013, for students of Sue Bryce to learn together and become better studio photographers under her education umbrella. Named after Sue’s blog www.inbedwithsue.com This group is InBedWithSue with members that mean business. 

We run full circle with an array of topics. No, we don’t get into camera tech a whole lot, but we do love to talk about lighting, posing and well … styling.  Styling is the subtle but intense difference in a lasting portrait. Sue reminds everyone to #existinphotos as an heirloom for their families. 

Styling … from fluffy tulle skirts, how to make, where to source material, how much of it and beyond to paint colors for poly boards you purchase at a hardware store and strap to the top of your vehicle, a 4 x 8 sheet mind you, and when we buy one, usually it’s really 3. We talk endlessly about gowns and how to work with hair & make up. Then there is the furnishing … let’s see, apple boxes, white ottomans, chairs, sofas and then we have to paint some of these finds. We have researched together and learned how to paint an entire sofa. Yes, fabric too. And we have, many times. We are a glamour machine in this group…

Then the backdrops started and boy did they … It started with painting canvas in a triple layer of paints to create old masters looks. Within one month we probably had over 100 people creating them. Not long after, we had members making flower backdrops in any way they could imagine and playing show and tell. We had paper created ones, coffee filters and artificial florals. Then out of the blue, one of our long standing members showed a few images of herself painting lovely, large pink flowers on some paper. My first thought was Oh My! Now that is something. Tamara Knight then commenced to say soon after “I can’t stop myself” feeling every ounce of energy we gave her in our adoration as a group. Our members love to put it out there too, “I would love to buy one from you” started from many of the voices in her posting threads. 

It begins

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But how? Tamara quickly came to the conclusion she could photograph the work and bring the idea of a line to a good quality backdrop company. Aileen Treadwell of Baby Dream Backdrops had the instinct that these would fill a need for her client base and the Tamara Knight Collection was initiated, coming to fruition and on the market in less than 2 weeks with four different unique designs with more to be introduced.  

The Collection

©Tamara Knight

 The building of a collection

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From the artist:  “It all started with the flower backdrop which was introduced by Sue Bryce. I wanted one, but I didn’t have the time to create it, I needed the backdrop for the next day. So I grabbed my kid’s acrylic paint, the roll of the seamless paper which I had for years, but never used and it all started. I painted my backdrop that night, used it and shared the results with ‘In Bed with Sue’ group. I was overwhelmed by the response! Such a supportive group! Soon after I created 4 more backdrops within a week and approached Baby Dream Backdrops company – one of the best in the industry, I am thrilled that they picked up my designs”.

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Any favorite equipment choices and editing programs for your work?

My 80mm 1.2 and 70-200 2.8 lenses. I use Lightroom to cull images and do very basic editing, but it is Photoshop all the way from there. I love working on composites for fun. 

Who do you follow as an inspiration or education source?

Sue Bryce, Jerry Ghionis, Lindsay Adler to name a few. But the biggest impact was Sue Bryce and her teaching. I first discovered her on CreativeLive and now I own her courses which are brilliant! If you can only afford one course – get Sue’s 28 days! She is an amazing photographer and a teacher. Very sincere, she moved so many photographers around the world to strive for better. She is my biggest inspiration!

 

Tamara Knight Photography specializes in modern beauty, children and family photography.

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http://www.tamaraknight.com
http://tamaraknight.com/blog
https://www.facebook.com/TamaraKnightPhotography

 

Soul of a Flower / Kathleen Clemons

Photo Communiqué Featured Artist with Kathleen Clemons

Beyond Fine Art / Her work makes you stare in wonder. 

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”
_William Shakespeare 

Before coming a photographer professionally I owned a flower shop for 16 years. Being surrounded by flowers daily I was in awe of the intricacies within the petals. They carry a life of beauty with every stage of opening to a specimen hard to forget. Color, texture and form.  Kathleen Clemons / Master Photographer specializing in macro florals has created one impressive piece after another, thrilling the viewer. She has a place in the fine art community. I call her a flower whisperer. -Lori Patrick

Let’s start with your name and where you reside or work

My name is Kathleen Clemons and I live in a small town on the Coast of Maine.

Your line of work pertaining to the photographic community

I am primarily a Nature Photographer, my work is represented worldwide by Corbis and Getty Images. I have a degree in Education, and teach online classes at the Bryan Peterson School of Photography . I teach several location workshops each year as well. Combining my love of teaching with my passion for Photography brings me great joy.

What type of photography do you enjoy for personal fulfillment?

I love making all kinds of photos, from macro to landscapes to portraits of people, I am always happy to have a camera in my hand. I specialize in nature photos, and am known for my flower portraits.

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©Kathleen Clemons 

Any favorite equipment choices for your work?

I am a Canon shooter, and my favorite lenses for flower portraits and macro in general are my Lensbabies. I love selective focus photography, and my Lensbabies provide just the look I want for my flower images. Lensbaby recently called me the Georgia O’Keeffe of Lensbaby flower photography and I was truly honored!

 What editing programs are your go to?

I edit in Photoshop, and also use software by Nik and MacPhun

 Who do you follow as an inspiration or education source?

I love to see what my photographer friends are shooting and check their websites, blogs and Facebook pages often, and I find inspiration from artists of all kinds, not just photographers. I really like to try new techniques, and get very excited when I have come up with something new to try in camera, or in post-processing. I just started making textures for Macphun software, and am loving that process. Now that Lensbaby makes a lens for my phone, the LM-10, I am shooting more with my iPhone and am enjoying posting those photos on Instagram and seeing what other people are posting there as well. I always tell my students to ask themselves, “What would happen if…?” and to then go try it, and I try to follow my own advice and do the same as it keeps my work fresh and me growing as a photographer.

Where can we find you online to see more or follow you?

The Art of Photographing Flowers on CreativeLIVE
Natural Light Macro Photography on Craftsy

Website: http://kathleenclemons.com
Blog: http://kathleenclemons.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kathleen.clemons
Twitter: @kathleenclemons
Instagram @kathleenclemons

bio shot by Sue Bryce

Kathleen Clemons

 

Lori Patrick

Daniel’s “Divine Consciousness”

 Featured Artist with Daniel Sanchez 

Sometimes the 3 letter word WOW flies into your thoughts.
(expressing astonishment or admiration) Wow!” he cried enthusiastically”

©Daniel Sanchez

 I routinely look at videos to see how people are progressing with their work on a forum I manage with the video creation platform Animoto.com utilized by businesses and photographers around the globe. 

 I was intrigued by the cover of Daniel’s video and watched the clever presentation of his work and artist belief system. I immediately scooped him up as a featured artist on Photo Communiqué. I particularly love that he professes a non gear acquisition approach. This factor hurts many photographers starting out. He also studies well and puts it to work. He is one to watch. -Lori Patrick

Let’s start with your name and where you reside or work

My name is Daniel Sanchez. I was born and raised in Ecuador, then moved to New York 6 years ago to pursue my career in Photography.

Your line of work pertaining to the photographic community.

Fine Art and Portrait Photography

Tell us about your project of what inspired Lori to reach out for a feature with you.

I made a big announcement through the social media networks when I launched my series Divine Consciousness. I was promoting a video titled “Fine Art Photography Explained in 60 Seconds” where I showed in detail my journey that led to this moment in my career.

This was my first Fine Art Project, so I didn’t want to publish the artwork alone. I thought it needed a video that delivers a strong message to my audience. That’s how Lori found me and invited me to share my story!

 What type of photography do you enjoy for fun or personal fulfillment? 

I do all type of things when I shoot for fun, specially when I’m out of new ideas. A few months ago I went hiking because I wanted to spend time outside of my studio and practice some landscape photography. Today, I do that in a regular basis in case I need stock images in the future. I also get in touch with the community at Model Mayhem, when I want to experiment with new techniques. It helps my models and I to improve our portfolios!

What do you specialize in for business?

Although my main priority is to exhibit my work in galleries, most of my income as a photographer comes from taking headshots of Actors and Models in New York City. I want to expand that business and eventually do both full time. That’s the dream!

 

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 ©Daniel Sanchez

 Any favorite equipment choices for your work?

My weapon of choice it’s the old and reliable Nikon D5100 with the standard 18-55mm lens. I’ve been shooting with this camera since day one. For some people that’s a shocker! because it’s a cropped sensor camera. The truth is that most cameras today will do the job as long as you light your subject properly.

 What editing programs are your go to?

Camera Raw to setup my photographs and then Photoshop for the retouching process.

 Who do you follow as an inspiration or education source?

I am a big fan of Miss Aniela and Brooke Shaden, their work it’s the perfect combination of fantasy and surrealism. I often watch their Behind The Scenes videos when I need inspiration for my own work.

When it comes to education I visit photography blogs like Phlearn, Fstoppers, SLR Lounge and Peta Pixel. They got the most current and relevant tutorials on the internet. But let’s not forget about Creative Live, their workshops are the best thing that happened to photographers. Plus it’s free if you watch them live.

 Where can we find more of your work, or follow you Daniel?

Dsanchezphoto.com

Online Store:

www.etsy.com/shop/DSanchezPhoto

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/dsanchezphoto

Youtube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoPqlkPtRT-IQHFRtEsAEHw

Daniel Sanchez

At Photo Communiqué, we look forward to seeing what masterpieces this passionate artist creates next.

Send me a POSTCARD …

A Pleasant Surprise

 Photo Communiqué featured artist with Liz Outhwaite and her 52 Postcards Project

 I was 8 years old when I received a letter in the mail from my Aunt Minnie. It was on pretty stationary, 2 pages long and had a unique stamp on the envelope. She told me how she was and asked about my life. I still have it and it makes me smile when I come across it. I feel the tactile nature of the paper, I see the personality in her handwriting from the pen and I feel good … just the reaction she dearly intended.

For a little over a decade we are living in a world of email and social media, a convenience beyond compare in busy lives. Keys tapping away, pressing the send or post button has given Mr. Postman much less to deliver. It most exist for flyers, junk mail, magazines and bills. If you were born after 1980 you grew up to find social media and eventually devices to connect you. It has become a lost art to send something in the mail for that one person you want to reach out to. A piece of paper with your signature as a token of taking the time to show you care, sealed with a kiss.

Liz Outhwaite is keeping the tradition alive and well. As a photographer she seeks beautiful images and creates postcards. She prints them, hand addresses with a note and a stamp and sends through the postal mail. Here is Liz’s story. I hope she inspires you to surprise someone you love or admire in sharing your gift in a more personal way. -Lori Patrick

 Let’s start with your name and where you reside or work

Liz Outhwaite. I live on the south coast of England, in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex

Your line of work pertaining to the photographic community

I’m currently not working, having just been made redundant after 27 years with the same nature conservation charity (not-for-profit organisation)! I’m spending some time to think about my future career options and photography may be something I pursue. At the moment I’m enjoying being able to devote time to my passion, plus getting my much neglected website updated!

Tell us about your project of what inspired Lori to reach out for a feature with you

This year, 2014, I decided I wanted to liberate images from my hard drive and share them in a tangible way, rather than just post them on the web. Having completed a 365 photo a day project in 2008, I wanted something that involved a regular commitment, but was not as demanding as a photo a day. I had been inspired by some photo friends who were printing 6×4 postcards and sharing them with fellow photographers. From this, my project 52 postcards was born. The aim is simple, to create, print and send (via the post/mail) a postcard a week for a year. For me, it’s important that the image is newly created and not taken from my hard drive archives. This means I have to remain creative and continue to develop my craft and style.

After the image has been received by the recipient, I do post it online (via my blog, Flickr, Facebook etc). I want the recipient to be the first person to see the card after me rather than post it immediately. Another important element of the project is to share the work of those I’ve sent the postcards to and I link to their work in my blog posts. I’m now in week 24 of the project and I’m really delighted with the feedback I’ve had.

I’m nearly half way through the project and still really enjoying it. It’s brought me into contact with many new and talented photographers and artists. I’ve also developed my photography, post-processing and printing skills.

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©Liz Outhwaite

 What type of photography do you enjoy for fun or personal fulfillment?

What do you specialize in for business?

I was asked to describe my photography just the other day and I found it really difficult! I like capturing details in the landscape (both rural and urban) rather than large sweeping landscapes. This genre is sometimes called intimate landscape. I tend to react to what’s around me and will take my camera for a walk with an open mind and generally with no set agenda for what I’m going to take. Over the last few months I’ve been experimenting with different techniques, in particular tilting and panning to create blurred, impressionistic images. I’ve also tried dusted down my old film camera and hope to make at least one image from film for this project. Technical issues have so far thwarted me (ie the film being eaten by the camera!).  People do feature in some of my images, but generally not.

As far as any business goes, I’m still working on this! I’ve recently taken a couple of workshops on dog photography, which were totally outside my comfort zone and experience, but which I thoroughly enjoyed. So who knows. . .

52 postcards - week 1, Shadows©Liz Outhwaite

 Any favorite equipment choices for your work?

I have two favorite lenses, my Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 and Nikon 105mm f/2.8, that work well on my Nikon D800. Following carrying a pack of very heavy camera equipment around Bhutan a couple of years ago, I’ve recently bought an Olympus OMD-E-M5. I found that I wasn’t/couldn’t always have a camera with me, but the Olympus means that I can.

Jarkar©Liz Outhwaite

 

Chorten offering and prayer flags, Thrumshing La Pass                                                                                                                                                                          ©Liz Outhwaite

 What editing programs are your go to?

Lightroom – I couldn’t work without it! I also use Photoshop CC, but not that often. For black and white conversions, I love SilverEfex Pro.

Who do you follow as an inspiration or education source?

Education – CreativeLIVE. I’ve been with them from almost the beginning and have more courses than I’d care to admit to! I’ve learnt so much, from photography skills, to post-processing and business. I can safely say that my photography wouldn’t have developed as it has without the amazing team at CreativeLIVE. Now that I’m having to reassess my career, these courses are even more important to me. I’ve even bought courses outside my genre and interests, such as Sue Bryce and Lara Jade’s recent Experimental Portraits. Although I don’t intend going down the portrait route, you can always find inspiration from other genres.

Inspiration: I’m going to start with Brooke Shaden. I love her approach to both photography and life and making your dreams come true.

I could spend hours (and do) looking through photo books. Here is a selection of my favourites:

Where can we find more of your work or follow you Liz?

Website: www.lizouthwaitephotography.co.uk

Blog: In the Making http://chalkhillscollective.wordpress.com/blog/

Twitter: @louthwaitephoto

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizouthwaitephotography 

 

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Liz will be sending me a postcard soon from the UK. When received I will share it here as an update.
Thank you Liz for teaching us the art of old fashion communiqué within this interview. 52 Postcards.