Archive: Mar 2012
  1. Inspired, A Very Special Project | Stacie Turner Photography

    Stacie Turner has been one of my FAVORITE photographers for a very long time. She is actually based out of Connecticut and I am kicking myself for not getting to meet her while we still lived there! Her use of film and especially Holga, her black and white images, the boldness and the masterful way she captures children. Its all just one big beautiful incredible dream. I have been following her work since I started out. Her work is art. There is no doubt in mind that if there was ONE photographer I had the opportunity to sit with and pick their brain it would be her. When I first started following her I fell in love with the honesty of her work. I loved the fact that she had such a voice of her own. As a matter of fact when I first began following her she only did black and white portraiture for clients and just when I thought she couldn’t get any better she began posting images in color and I loved her that much more. There are really no words and you are going to have to see for yourself! I am completely honored to be able to share her with you for this project though. And not only is she talented but she’s kind. She’s SO amazingly kind and genuine!

    You can find her website HERE and say hello to Stacie on Facebook HERE.

    Well hello sweet Stacie!

    Lets get to know you! How would you describe yourself in three sentences?

    I am an artist, a mother, a wife, a bit weird, a bit quirky, a bit edgy. I am a business woman, a maker of chocolate chip cookies; I make dinner, I make art. I am, like most American women, a juggler of multiple responsibilities.

     

    What sparked your passion for Photography?

    I grew up in a house of photographers with glass jars of chemicals on the kitchen counter so the visual language of photography has been part of my life since before puberty. After I “grew up” I did other things until I had children. I bought a dslr when my daughter pointed and dropped my point and shoot one time too many because I really needed to take baby pictures.

    Whats in your camera bag?

    2 Canon 5D classics, a Canon EOS3, a Bronica, 3 holga 120Ns, 1 holga 35PH, 135/2.0L, 100/2.8, 85/1.8, 50/1.4, 28/2.8, lensbaby, 2 lenses for the bronica and a bunch of holga junk plus film, extra batteries and a speedlight.

    What Camera/Equipment did you start out with?

    A Rebel! No, really….

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

    I generally only use the 135mm. I do most of my shooting on location and of all my lenses it gives the best dreamy background separation and I like that it lets me be far away from my subject so I can catch more natural behaviors; it’s very hard to act naturally when someone’s got a lens right up in your face.

     

    What advice would go give to someone just beginning in photography and hoping to have a business of their own?

    I wouldn’t suggest getting into the industry right now – it’s so over-satruated. But if you must, know your numbers. Know your yearly expenses, including equipment, insurance, taxes. Know what the costs of goods are on every product and package you sell, price yourself to make a profit. Whether you want to be expensive or cheap, make sure that in the end you are making money. The PPA estimates that if you net 28% of your gross you are doing a DARN good job of controlling your costs. That means if you have a $1,000 sale you’ll be lucky to take home $280. Go into the business with your eyes wide open about that reality and you’ll be fine.

    What was your first official Photographer crush if you had one?

    Cheryl Jacobs. I used to say I lived under her porch.

     

    What kind of photos do you like to take for just yourself when not working with clients?

    I do mostly holga work for myself, lots of very odd pictures. I want them to be unsettling, even creepy.

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

    My grandmother. She died last summer at 101 and I inherited a box of photographs, both formal studio shots of her son and husband as well as lots of brownie snapshots ;she clearly loved photography which I never knew. I would love to be able to go back in time and photograph her in her youth.

     

    Describe your style in 3 words.

    Dreamy. Quiet. Reflective.

    Most embarrassing moment on a session would be?

    Oh, I’ve had this. I had a woman volunteer to be a nude maternity model and we went out to the woods and there was SO MUCH SNOW. We’re tracking through snow that was 2 feet deep or more and breaking through the crust and she’s 39 weeks pregnant at this point. We get out there and the battery is dead, no back up. Have you ever wanted to crawl in a hole and die. I’ve never not had a back up since, and she was a total trooper about it and came out another day.

    Any challenges you have had to overcome to be where you are today?

    You mean other than twins, no time, and an over-saturated industry? Nothing comes to mind, no…

     

    Favorite time of day to shoot is?

    20 minutes before sunset, absolutely 🙂

     

     

    If you had to stop taking photos right now, what would you do instead?

    Be institutionalized. Seriously. If I stopped working for money, which I think about frequently, I would still shoot. I have to take pictures. It really isn’t optional for me if I want to be a happy person.

    Have you attended college or had any formal education in Photography?

    Nope.

     

    What do you do to get your clients to relax with you?


    I get down on the same level as the child and introduce myself to her. I shake her hand and look her in the eye and ask her if she’d like to see my camera. If I’m shooting film I show her how the film goes in. If I’m shooting digital I offer to let her look at herself on the back of the camera. I tell her (never EVER ask – what if she says no?) that we’re going to be shooting some pictures and I have a cool spot to show her. For me a lot of it is working with the child and treating her like a collaborator in the process.

     

    What are your photography related goals for 2012?

    I have a 2-pronged set of goals for 2012: artistic and teaching. I’m really enjoying working with photographers to help them assess their portfolios through critique sessions and mentoring as well as the webinar editing series I did this spring. I was a high school teacher before I had my babies and once a teacher always a teacher. Artistically I am working on ziatype printing, which is an alternative process where you “paint” chemicals on paper and use a contact negative to expose the paper to create a final hand-crafted image.

     

     

    How do you push yourself to keep growing and learning? Any Big Aha! Moments?

    I always have a bunch of personal projects I am working on; I think you have to shoot for yourself all the time. You can’t only shoot for clients or you’ll become stale and bored. Right now I am working on two ongoing projects for myself. One is titled “This is my body you eat/ate” and is holga images of breastfeeding moms and the bodies of mothers after we get our stretch marks and scars and saggy bits. The other is “We are such stuff” which is my series of holga portraits of children. I think every roll of film includes an a-ha moment. Some are more embarrassing than others. Recently I was reminded that if you are going to use a holga lens that changes the focal distance to 2 feet you should take it off when you’re done before you ruin 2 rolls of film.

     

    Biggest Photography related insecurity?

    That all of my work is derivative and I don’t have my own voice.

     

    Digital or Prints?

    Mostly digital, though I include reference prints with every digital file order.

     

    What advice would you give someone hoping to start out in Film Photography?

    I would suggest signing up for Clickin’ Moms and high tailing it over to the film forum. I think it’s got a lot of great information without becoming really weighed down in technical data about developing chemicals or agitation times that can be overwhelming to someone starting out. There are active portrait and wedding photographers who post there and share their knowledge very freely and generously.

     

     

    What is your favorite photography related spot on the web?

    Pinterest 🙂

    What would your “dream” session entail?

    A client who wants to get a holga image, who is excited to create a concept for the final image and work to make one, fabulous art piece of her child.

    Fun stuff:

    Favorite Color: Blue
    Favorite Season: Spring
    Biggest Guilty Pleasure: Trashy novels
    Pet Peeve: the bags under my eyes
    Favorite Pandora Station: don’t have 0ne
    Studio or On location: on location
    What did you want to be when you grew up? teacher
    One thing no one knows about you is: I used to feed brussels sprouts to the cat
    Pc or Mac: Mac
    Lightroom Or Photoshop: Photoshop
    Film or Digital: Both
    Props or No Props: No props
    If you could travel anywhere it would be: Hawaii
    Glass Half Empty or Half Full: Half full.
    Favorite photo ever taken: Of mine? Girl in Tutu. In general? How can I choose? That Diane Arbus shot of the scary identical twins is pretty great.


    Raw or Jpeg: Raw
    Favorite Music to Edit to: I usually edit to podcasts of things like Radio Lab
    Most valued material possession: My stuffed bunny from childhood
    Processing Style: subtly hazy
    Coffee or Tea: Tea
    If you could photograph a Celebrity who would it be? Johnny Depp
    What kind of Camera bag do you rock? Jill-e

    1 Lovely Comments  •  Leave a Comment for Sarah

  2. Inspired, A Very Special Project | Stacie Turner Photography

    Stacie Turner has been one of my FAVORITE photographers for a very long time. She is actually based out of Connecticut and I am kicking myself for not getting to meet her while we still lived there! Her use of film and especially Holga, her black and white images, the boldness and the masterful way she captures children. Its all just one big beautiful incredible dream. I have been following her work since I started out. Her work is art. There is no doubt in mind that if there was ONE photographer I had the opportunity to sit with and pick their brain it would be her. When I first started following her I fell in love with the honesty of her work. I loved the fact that she had such a voice of her own. As a matter of fact when I first began following her she only did black and white portraiture for clients and just when I thought she couldn’t get any better she began posting images in color and I loved her that much more. There are really no words and you are going to have to see for yourself! I am completely honored to be able to share her with you for this project though. And not only is she talented but she’s kind. She’s SO amazingly kind and genuine!

    You can find her website HERE and say hello to Stacie on Facebook HERE.

    Well hello sweet Stacie!

    Lets get to know you! How would you describe yourself in three sentences?

    I am an artist, a mother, a wife, a bit weird, a bit quirky, a bit edgy. I am a business woman, a maker of chocolate chip cookies; I make dinner, I make art. I am, like most American women, a juggler of multiple responsibilities.

     

    What sparked your passion for Photography?

    I grew up in a house of photographers with glass jars of chemicals on the kitchen counter so the visual language of photography has been part of my life since before puberty. After I “grew up” I did other things until I had children. I bought a dslr when my daughter pointed and dropped my point and shoot one time too many because I really needed to take baby pictures.

    Whats in your camera bag?

    2 Canon 5D classics, a Canon EOS3, a Bronica, 3 holga 120Ns, 1 holga 35PH, 135/2.0L, 100/2.8, 85/1.8, 50/1.4, 28/2.8, lensbaby, 2 lenses for the bronica and a bunch of holga junk plus film, extra batteries and a speedlight.

    What Camera/Equipment did you start out with?

    A Rebel! No, really….

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

    I generally only use the 135mm. I do most of my shooting on location and of all my lenses it gives the best dreamy background separation and I like that it lets me be far away from my subject so I can catch more natural behaviors; it’s very hard to act naturally when someone’s got a lens right up in your face.

     

    What advice would go give to someone just beginning in photography and hoping to have a business of their own?

    I wouldn’t suggest getting into the industry right now – it’s so over-satruated. But if you must, know your numbers. Know your yearly expenses, including equipment, insurance, taxes. Know what the costs of goods are on every product and package you sell, price yourself to make a profit. Whether you want to be expensive or cheap, make sure that in the end you are making money. The PPA estimates that if you net 28% of your gross you are doing a DARN good job of controlling your costs. That means if you have a $1,000 sale you’ll be lucky to take home $280. Go into the business with your eyes wide open about that reality and you’ll be fine.

    What was your first official Photographer crush if you had one?

    Cheryl Jacobs. I used to say I lived under her porch.

     

    What kind of photos do you like to take for just yourself when not working with clients?

    I do mostly holga work for myself, lots of very odd pictures. I want them to be unsettling, even creepy.

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

    My grandmother. She died last summer at 101 and I inherited a box of photographs, both formal studio shots of her son and husband as well as lots of brownie snapshots ;she clearly loved photography which I never knew. I would love to be able to go back in time and photograph her in her youth.

     

    Describe your style in 3 words.

    Dreamy. Quiet. Reflective.

    Most embarrassing moment on a session would be?

    Oh, I’ve had this. I had a woman volunteer to be a nude maternity model and we went out to the woods and there was SO MUCH SNOW. We’re tracking through snow that was 2 feet deep or more and breaking through the crust and she’s 39 weeks pregnant at this point. We get out there and the battery is dead, no back up. Have you ever wanted to crawl in a hole and die. I’ve never not had a back up since, and she was a total trooper about it and came out another day.

    Any challenges you have had to overcome to be where you are today?

    You mean other than twins, no time, and an over-saturated industry? Nothing comes to mind, no…

     

    Favorite time of day to shoot is?

    20 minutes before sunset, absolutely 🙂

     

     

    If you had to stop taking photos right now, what would you do instead?

    Be institutionalized. Seriously. If I stopped working for money, which I think about frequently, I would still shoot. I have to take pictures. It really isn’t optional for me if I want to be a happy person.

    Have you attended college or had any formal education in Photography?

    Nope.

     

    What do you do to get your clients to relax with you?


    I get down on the same level as the child and introduce myself to her. I shake her hand and look her in the eye and ask her if she’d like to see my camera. If I’m shooting film I show her how the film goes in. If I’m shooting digital I offer to let her look at herself on the back of the camera. I tell her (never EVER ask – what if she says no?) that we’re going to be shooting some pictures and I have a cool spot to show her. For me a lot of it is working with the child and treating her like a collaborator in the process.

     

    What are your photography related goals for 2012?

    I have a 2-pronged set of goals for 2012: artistic and teaching. I’m really enjoying working with photographers to help them assess their portfolios through critique sessions and mentoring as well as the webinar editing series I did this spring. I was a high school teacher before I had my babies and once a teacher always a teacher. Artistically I am working on ziatype printing, which is an alternative process where you “paint” chemicals on paper and use a contact negative to expose the paper to create a final hand-crafted image.

     

     

    How do you push yourself to keep growing and learning? Any Big Aha! Moments?

    I always have a bunch of personal projects I am working on; I think you have to shoot for yourself all the time. You can’t only shoot for clients or you’ll become stale and bored. Right now I am working on two ongoing projects for myself. One is titled “This is my body you eat/ate” and is holga images of breastfeeding moms and the bodies of mothers after we get our stretch marks and scars and saggy bits. The other is “We are such stuff” which is my series of holga portraits of children. I think every roll of film includes an a-ha moment. Some are more embarrassing than others. Recently I was reminded that if you are going to use a holga lens that changes the focal distance to 2 feet you should take it off when you’re done before you ruin 2 rolls of film.

     

    Biggest Photography related insecurity?

    That all of my work is derivative and I don’t have my own voice.

     

    Digital or Prints?

    Mostly digital, though I include reference prints with every digital file order.

     

    What advice would you give someone hoping to start out in Film Photography?

    I would suggest signing up for Clickin’ Moms and high tailing it over to the film forum. I think it’s got a lot of great information without becoming really weighed down in technical data about developing chemicals or agitation times that can be overwhelming to someone starting out. There are active portrait and wedding photographers who post there and share their knowledge very freely and generously.

     

     

    What is your favorite photography related spot on the web?

    Pinterest 🙂

    What would your “dream” session entail?

    A client who wants to get a holga image, who is excited to create a concept for the final image and work to make one, fabulous art piece of her child.

    Fun stuff:

    Favorite Color: Blue
    Favorite Season: Spring
    Biggest Guilty Pleasure: Trashy novels
    Pet Peeve: the bags under my eyes
    Favorite Pandora Station: don’t have 0ne
    Studio or On location: on location
    What did you want to be when you grew up? teacher
    One thing no one knows about you is: I used to feed brussels sprouts to the cat
    Pc or Mac: Mac
    Lightroom Or Photoshop: Photoshop
    Film or Digital: Both
    Props or No Props: No props
    If you could travel anywhere it would be: Hawaii
    Glass Half Empty or Half Full: Half full.
    Favorite photo ever taken: Of mine? Girl in Tutu. In general? How can I choose? That Diane Arbus shot of the scary identical twins is pretty great.


    Raw or Jpeg: Raw
    Favorite Music to Edit to: I usually edit to podcasts of things like Radio Lab
    Most valued material possession: My stuffed bunny from childhood
    Processing Style: subtly hazy
    Coffee or Tea: Tea
    If you could photograph a Celebrity who would it be? Johnny Depp
    What kind of Camera bag do you rock? Jill-e

    4 Lovely Comments  •  Leave a Comment for Sarah

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