Inspired, A Very Special Project | Rosina W. Photography

There are so many things that I absolutely love about Rosina. She has an uncanny ability to capture real life. There is so much authenticity in her work and you can feel the love for her craft in each image she shares.  I love her lifestyle and photo journalistic approach and going through her blog she really knows how to tell a story without words.  I found Rosina on flickr eons a go and have followed her closely ever since.  Since she does such an amazing job of conveying her point of view through her photography I am getting right to it!

You can Find Rosina’s Website HERE.  You can also find her new wedding website with Sarah Robinson HERE. You can also find her on Facebook HERE. She is on instagram with the handle: rosina_waszaj and her twitter is @rosinawaszaj.

Hi Rosina!

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

I am easy-going. I don’t like to make lists. I prefer diet dr. pepper over diet coke.

What sparked your passion for Photography?

When I was sixteen years old, I saw a black-and-white image of a homeless man. It was an eye-opener for me! At that moment, I realized art is subjective. That very image made me wonder what the photographer was like.

What’s in your camera bag?

My canon 5d classic (although I’m in the process of looking for a Mkii) and my 35mm 1.4.

What Camera/Equipment did you start out with?

A pre-owned Rebel with a 50mm 1.4.

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

I do that! The only lens I ever use is the 35L. I love that it’s wide yet I can get close when I want to. Also, I’m in love with the creamy bokeh it delivers.

What advice would you give to someone just beginning in photography and hoping to have a business of his or her own?

I’m sure I’m not the only person who says this…but photography needs to be a passion first before it becomes a business. Without the passion the business will not thrive. Also, the ONLY way to get better is to shoot, shoot and shoot. Be patient but diligent. Don’t look around and compare. Be yourself, shoot what you love. Believe in yourself.

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

 My first photographer crush was definitely Ira Lippke! I had just started doing weddings and he was the first person I found. I was absolutely blown away by his work. I never knew people can be THAT skilled.

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

I like to take pictures of just about anything and everything, usually with my iphone. I like to photograph people, however I often find myself shooting my kids instead. But if I don’t have to worry about my kids for a day, I’d love to visit different urban neighborhoods around the country!

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

I think my grandfathers. I grew up with both of them and remember as a little girl I loved hearing different stories from their life experiences. My maternal grandfather was a pilot, he had traveled to so many different places. My paternal grandfather came from a small village in northern China. He was a man of character. Only if!

Describe your style in 3 words.

Telling a story

Most embarrassing moment on a session would be?

Surprisingly, I have not had anything embarassing happen yet! But I do have a scary moment once shooting a wedding. During family portrait time my shutter stopped working. I had to turn my camera off and on a few times for it to work again. Luckily I didn’t miss anything. But that was definitely one of the scariest experiences—trying to keep calm yet trying to figure out what was going on. Thank God it was during family portrait time and not during the ceremony!

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

Yes, there were challenges when I first started—feeling overwhelmed and not knowing exactly where I was going. There are still challenges today such as trying my best to stay true to myself. It’s so hard not to look around me and compare…but I know God has taken me this far and if it weren’t for Him, I wouldn’t have all these amazing opportunities. Therefore I have to constantly remind myself that it was never MY skills nor MY talent. It is all Him. God opened the doors and gave me the opportunities. I am human, sometimes it is very easy to get caught up with man’s approval and forget that it is God who gifted me with this passion and bookings. The truth is, it is very humbling to be reminded that I did absolutely nothing. The challenge is to always keep that in mind.

Favorite time of day to shoot is?

Evening, about an hour before the sun goes down.

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

Hmmm…I have never thought about that! Shooting has become an outlet for me in the past few years. When frustrated or stressed, some people choose to run and some people choose to draw. As for me, I choose to shoot. I honestly can’t imagine what I would do if I had to stop shooting. I don’t think I’d be able to function normally!

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

Not really. I have a teaching degree and taught for 2 years. I thought teaching was what I was made for…until this came along.

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

I talk to them, chat with them as if I’m trying to get to know them better (I am, in a sense!). I try to be a friend and not a photographer. It takes practice and I still get nervous…but it has gotten easier.

What are your photography related goals for 2012?

To be more authentic to what I am and I’d like to find a personal project to stick to.

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

Just by shooting, I have learned so much about myself as a person. I look at some of my favorite photographers’ work from the past (Vivian Maier, Dorothea Lange, for example) and ask myself what I love about their work and why their work is so striking. I ask what made them shoot the way they did; not to imitate their work but to try to find that same drive in me.

Biggest Photography related insecurity?

I become insecure when I don’t make ‘normal’ images. Sometimes when I shoot, a strand of flying hair or an unfocused smile hit me more in ways nothing else would. My insecurities come out when I share these. But I have to remember that this is my art, and that each one of us interprets things differently.

Digital or Prints?

I definitely do more digital than prints. Although my best friend just came to my house and rearranged all of my old frames….so it’s time to print things out!

How do you set yourself apart from other local photographers?

I don’t intend to set myself apart from local photographers…but I think viewing photography as an art rather than a business helps. When you believe it’s your ‘art’, you don’t usually compromise much. When a client hires me, I would make sure he/she understands my approach and vision for my sessions. We communicate a lot first before I actually go out to shoot. It’s a lot of ‘prep’ work, but it’s totally worth it in the end!

What do you think your next photography related investment will be?

Honestly, it never ever ends. Since I have been shooting solely on my classic 5D, my next investment would definitely be a Canon MKii. I need to rely on a newer body. I also would like to invest in an iMac. I think my little 15” MacBook Pro is not cutting it. And then there are lenses I’d like to get, such as the 135L. I can go on and on and on!

If you had to recommend ONE thing that a photographer needs in their camera bag what would that be?

A quote or an object about photography that motivates and moves you. I feel that it’s really important to try our hardest to always be true to ourselves. Something small and seemingly insigificant like that definitely helps!

What would you say your biggest muse is?

I know this may sound cliché, but I cannot talk about photography and everything that drives me to do this without mentioning God. I don’t want to sit here and just merely thank Him, but I want to acknowledge the fact that it is only through Him I was able to do everything I could in the past few years. For the past year since my third child was born, it was very evident that God wanted me to put photography on hold. We moved away from where my business started and I had to start everything anew 3000 miles away. It was more than overwhelming. There were times when I felt like quitting. I just didn’t know where I should go or what to pursue. So instead of focusing on photography, I turned away from it and just really focused on God. He showed and provided me many things, including friends who were going through the same exact struggles. We talked and prayed and encouraged each other. We helped each other remember that it was never ‘us’ who did anything, but it was only by His grace and His provisions stuff came to life. Lastly, I just want to share one of my absolutely favorite verses from the Bible: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

 

Fun stuff:

Favorite Color:
Green
Favorite Season:
I am a California girl, summer is definitely my favorite!
Biggest Guilty Pleasure:
-Anything chocolate-y.
Pet Peeve:

Favorite Pandora Station:
-Hillsong United Worship & The Civil Wars
Studio or On location:
-On location
What did you want to be when you grew up?
-Ha! A teacher. Then I became one, I didn’t care so much for it anymore.
One thing no one knows about you is:
-I was born and raised in Taiwan. I left my family to live here in the US when I was only 13 years old. So I speak and write fluent Chinese.
Pc or Mac:
-Mac
Lightroom Or Photoshop:
-Lightroom
Film or Digital:
-More digital, although I want to do more film.
Props or No Props:
-No props, unless it’s something meaningful to the client and will tie to the story I shoot.
If you could travel anywhere it would be:
-Oh, so many places! I visited my mom in Germany and northern Italy years ago and I’d like to go again.
Glass Half Empty or Half Full:
-I’m usually a half-empty person, although I’m trying my hardest to see things differently.

Raw or Jpeg:
-RAW

Favorite Quote: “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.” ~ Erma Bombeck

Most valued material possession:
-This is silly…but my engagement ring.
Processing Style:
-I’m not sure…natural? I use Alien Skin to process. I usually just adjust the white balance and the tone curve, that’s pretty much it.
Coffee or Tea:
-coffee

What kind of Camera bag do you rock?
-I don’t use anything fancy…I found a pretty durable camera bag from ebay years ago. “Tough Traveler.”