Scroll down to find out more about Jennifer!

1. What was your inspiration for the new presets?

“I have always been deeply inspired by the work of Peter Lindberg, by film director Stanley Kubric and Alfred Hitchcock and by old and new cinema in general. This pack has cinematic and nostalgic elements which is my main source of inspiration.”

Jennifer Moher – SLATE & IVORY DECADES

2. Why do you feel it was the right time to release a new preset pack?

“My work has been evolving over the years to a more timeless, less trendy feel. Through the black and white this is easy, but with colour, it’s tricky to not fall into the trend trap. I looked to older cinematic stills and photos and took elements from those as those sources of inspiration remain refined and timeless.”

Jennifer Moher – SLATE & IVORY DECADES

3. How would you describe the change in your photography style since the release of the first Slate & Ivory presets?

“My work and my life has become more soul focused. I have been doing a lot of deep inner work and realize that I need to create images that feel.”

Jennifer Moher – SLATE & IVORY DECADES

4. What are sources of inspiration for your work?

“My main source lately has been Peter Linderg (as mentioned above) but also random old photographs (found in thrift shops, anonymously on pinterest, etc)”

Jennifer Moher – Slate & Ivory Decades

5. What is your favorite movie?

“My recent favourite movie is Pig, it is an absolute masterpiece on every level. I have SO many runner-ups, including Shutter Island, Rear Window, There will be blood and Drive.”

Jennifer Moher – Slate & Ivory Decades

6. What is the goal of your Cinematic Storytelling Masterclass?

“The goal of the masterclass is to teach photographers to look away from trends and dig into what moves us, by looking at film directors who take on this same approach. It is meant to expand our awareness of the beauty around us and pushes us to think for ourselves rather than relying on industry trends to guide our artwork.”

Jennifer Moher – Slate & Ivory Decades

7. How do you stay so passionate about what you do?

“I think the secret is to stay true to your own style, the second I find myself following others and attempting to recreate something someone else has done, I feel deeply inauthentic and dissatisfied with my work. We need to take the time to explore our own creative ideas, rather than relying on the industry to tell us what’s “cool”.”

Jennifer Moher – Slate & Ivory Decades

8. Which scenery and light would fit your new preset style the most?

“They are extremely versatile and work well in any lighting condition, however I do tend to expose for highlights and shoot a bit darker.”

Jennifer Moher – Slate & Ivory Decades

9. Tell us about one of the most unforgettable moments as a photographer this year!

“Oh wow. My first wedding back after a year of not shooting. It was a really moving moment during the reception, to take a step back and watch everyone hug and dance and show love. I felt the emotions of everyone in the room and it was absolutely beautiful.”

Jennifer Moher – Slate & Ivory Decades

10. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

“I would live somewhere in Europe with really old buildings, that hold stories of the souls that once inhabited the space.”

Jennifer Moher – Slate & Ivory Decades

Thank you again for answering all our questions, Jennifer!

If you are now feeling inspired and want to check out Jennifer’s latest presets – Slate & Ivory Decades – then head over to our Meridian Presets website.

The post Interview with Jennifer Moher appeared first on LOOKSLIKEFILM.

Scroll down to find out more about Anni!

1. Congratulations on the birth of your little boy! Such exciting times are ahead for you and your family. How are you feeling?

“Thank you! These last few months of transition to a family of three has been life changing to say the least. I didn’t expect motherhood to feel so normal, as if Joey has always been here and I’ve always been his mother. I can’t even remember what life was like before him and it’s only been 3 months.

I’m making the slow transition back to working and shooting and figuring out how to plan my days to get through my workload while being present with my family. It’s definitely a new challenge that I know so many others have been through and I think it just takes time to figure out this new flow of life. ”

Anni GrahaM – Lumine Presets

“Other than the actual trip to the beach it was amazing! Joey has a hard time falling asleep alone in his car seat even when I sit back there with him so we had to make a lot of stops. It was heartbreaking seeing him sweat through his clothes from crying so much. I empathize so much with any other parent who has a kid who hates the car seat too, it’s terrible!

But he loved the beach if he even knew we were there. It’s been fun traveling with him because travel feels like such a normal part of our lives. It’ll be fun to go back to the Oregon Coast next year when he is a bit older and can actually enjoy playing in the sand. ”

Anni GrahaM – Lumine Presets

3. How did you get the idea to create the lights & shadows for your Lumine presets?

“The pack was inspired by my love for all the beautiful light and shadows that pour into our house at different times of the day. Last year when we had to cancel all of our travel and spent more time at home than we had in years, I discovered things about my house that I hadn’t seen before. I would wake up early to open the curtains because the light made a perfect beam into our bedroom.

I’d wait in the living room in the afternoon for the sun to pour through the trees making shadows on our floor. It was beautiful. I started noticing light and shadows in my work and realized how the effect of them transformed an image from ordinary to extraordinary.

The light and shadows I collected for the presets are beautiful pictures in themselves, they hold so much emotion and depth. Combining that with a beautiful moment or an important detail shot adds that element of emotion for me and is why I love these presets so much.”

Anni GrahaM – Lumine Presets

4. Which features of your new preset do you love the most?

“Right now I’m really loving the light effects and finding new ways to use them in my work. I’ll add one of the light effects and crop into my image to use it more was a light flare or blur in the photo. Because they are so realistic, I can bring so much creativity to an image in post and have it feel like a true and natural moment.

It’s so helpful when editing because sometimes you don’t have light or you forget to get some different creative shots of a moment and having the option to play and create that in post is so relieving. Sometimes after a shoot I think back and feel like I totally missed the mark and probably didn’t really get any good images (I’m really hard on myself like I know so many others are), but then I get into editing and use the light effects and feel so filled with confidence again.”

Anni GrahaM – Lumine Presets

5. How do the Lumine presets change your pictures artistically?

“The lightest part of your image is where your eye is naturally drawn to. A white dress, a light beam, a waterfall. I used to use gradients and radial filters to bring light and focus to my image, but felt so restricted by their perfect shape and unrealistic lines. What I love so much about the Lumine presets is they bring light and shadows into your images in a natural way. They are created from real sources, from real light and shadows.

I can use them in my images to bring focus to someone’s face, a specific detail, a hand. They take an otherwise basic photo and transform it into something unique and different in a realistic way. I love and need to feel creative with my work, but stay far away from effects that feel unrealistic, edited, and fake. I still want the moments to feel real and these presets allow me to do that.”

Anni GrahaM – Lumine Presets

6. What inspired you to create your new venture „immersed education“?

“Immersed Educated started as an experience based photography workshop that Manda from Maeandco and I hosted every year. We had such transformative experiences with our students that we started dreaming up other ways that we could bring the type of education we loved to a wider group of photographers all around the world. We felt like there was this gap in education and workshops in general.

It was all about how to make more money and be “successful,” teaching students to hustle, work non-stop, charge 10k and travel the world. But there was this gap – what about your work, the creativity of your photography, the connection and relationships to yourself, your work and your clients. What if a photographer only photographed 10 couples a year, but did it in a beautiful, creative, intentional way, would they consider themselves successful when attending workshops that only teach about how to get 50+ weddings a year?

We want to change the conversation, redefine success and bring photographers back to what they love about what they do because we believe that’s what is most important. So with Immersed, we want to create and host education that connects photographers back to themselves, their work and their clients.”

Anni GrahaM – Lumine Presets

7. In which way do the immersed education courses help other photographers?

“Our goal is to create foundational courses for photographers that addresses topics from a holistic perspective. Holistic in the sense that we don’t just want to give you a list of 10 things to do and promise it will change your business, but ask questions, discover your why, find the intent behind everything you do, continue to refine who you are as an artist and who you are in the wedding industry.

Right now we have 3 courses, composition + storytelling taught by me (two of the most important topics I believe every photographer should learn) and an intro to film course taught by Hannah Shea. We have more courses in the works that we will be publishing in the next few months.”

Anni GrahaM – Lumine Presets

8. Why do you feel it was the right time to release a new preset pack?

“Lumine was something we started creating months ago while I was still pregnant and as life went on hold this summer for the birth of Joey, we waited until I felt completely back to release the new pack.”

Anni GrahaM – Lumine Presets

9. What inspires you the most photography-wise?

“When I first decided I wanted to become a photographer, I wanted to be a photojournalist. I wanted to be covered in dirt in the back of a jeep traveling through somewhere in Africa photographing people in cultures that have stood the test of time. But it wasn’t in the cards for me.

That love of photojournalism, of telling stories, of discovering what makes a person or relationship unique, or the story of a place, still inspires my work today. Coming back to a moment through small details or a unique perspective is what I strive for in my work. I want to feel what I see over and over again.”

Anni GrahaM – Lumine Presets

10. How would you describe Lumine Presets to anyone that never worked with this new generation of effects/presets?

“Lumine presets are not your traditional set of presets. They are brushes that you can overlay on top of your already edited images. These brushes are light and shadows that have been created from real sources so they look and feel natural. These brushes can be manipulated within the brush effect tool in Lightroom, adjusting exposure, color, etc and they can also be transformed into bigger versions of themselves, flipped vertically, applied multiple times, etc using the Meridian Plug-In which comes with the preset.

These effects give you the ability to add in light and shadows in images that didn’t previously have them or enhance the ones that did without changing the color or tone of your editing settings. They work on top of any other color presets you use and can completely transform an ordinary image into something unique and different.”

Anni GrahaM – Lumine Presets

Thank you again for answering all our questions, Anni!

If you are now feeling inspired and want to check out Anni´s latest presets – the Lumine Effects – then head over to our Meridian Presets website.

The post Interview with Anni Graham appeared first on LOOKSLIKEFILM.

1. What do making images mean to you?

Making art means everything to me. It’s being trusted by another human, often a stranger, to come into their comfort zone and visually explain the way you see them. I’m definitely NOT a jack of all trades, so I find much solace and comfort knowing that I have a craft, and that I am really in love with what I do to put food on the table. It means everything because I wake up each day and live my life doing what makes me happy. Not many people are afforded that kind of luxury.

2. What is life to you? What it should be?

Life is this messy beautiful process that we all interpret differently. For me, it’s the endless pursuit of happiness. It’s connection, drinking wine, adventure, cuddling my beautiful furbabies, loving those who matter, and above all learning to love myself.

3. There are a lot of professions out there – why be a photographer?

For as long as I can remember, I have always been intrigued by photography and art. My bedroom walls were consistently covered with Polaroids, disposable camera shoots, found art, and collages. My original interest was in graphic design, but I began playing heavily with photography and just fell in love. I enjoy so many mediums of art, but I love photography because it is the best tool I’ve ever possessed to translate the way I look at the world around me.

4. How much is your family an influence on the way you view life, see things?

Though she is more scientific than artistic, my mother has always pushed me to: 

Never settle for the ordinary.
Not to get bogged down in a career that impedes my happiness.
Make jokes in times of doubt.
Live for myself above all else.
Try and find the beauty in everyone, even when they don’t see it in themselves.

I’m so grateful for everything she taught me, because it’s helped my social relationships as well as my ambition. I treat every single shoot as an opportunity and challenge to make someone feel really special and beautiful.

5. Are you creativity satisfied at the moment?

No! I never have been, and I probably never will be. I always want to grow and learn and improve my craft. That’s the agonizingly beautiful curse of art.

6. What TV are you watching?

Stranger Things. Vice Principals. Still hopelessly pining for Game of Thrones to come back.

7. Have you had any mentors along the way?

I had some formal darkroom training in art school, but I am mostly self-taught. While I never had a personal mentor, I spent many sleepless nights drooling over the work of artists like Sam Hurd and Nessa K. Seeing the immense talent out there always inspires me to be more creative, brave, and a little weird when I can.

8. Is/Are there any project(s) you wish you could do – or might do?

Years ago, I began a project where I went to rural areas and photographed/interviewed locals such as truck stop waitresses, farmers, artisans, miners, and mechanics. One day if the funds/time allow, I’d love to pick back up on that journey.

I also occasionally dabble in some photography/scanner mashup art from time to time, and have been itching to build back on old showcases. You can visit my facebook album if you are curious about some former side projects of mine.

9. Do you shoot with your left or right eye?

Total lefty.

10. If you were to start all over again, is there anything you would do differently? Why?

I wouldn’t change any of it. Even the beginning when I had no clue what I was doing. Every mistake, triumph, and interaction has shaped the way my art has evolved. And while it’s a constant work in progress, it’s mine, and I love it.

Bonus Q: Do you think the gear you use affects the way you photograph? Why? 

Equipment and technique definitely are a huge part of the process… But so much of art is perspective, and individual perspective is the soul of a photo. You can have the best of the best equipment, but if you don’t have the eye or the passion, then you have a big expensive paperweight… Though my gear is wonderful, amazing, and the best set of tools I could currently ask for.

GEAR LIST

• Canon MK III
• Sigma 35mm 1.4 ART
• Sigma 24mm 1.4 ART
• Canon 85mm 1.2
• Canon 135mm 2.0

FIELD NOTES

I began in darkroom, and while I will always cherish that chapter of my journey, I have come to love the flexibility and forgiveness of digital. The presets I use started once as a VSCO Portra 400 and have been tweaked endlessly since.

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Florida based photographer Twyla Jones is guided by moments in life that really speak to her, creating images that resonate with others. Twyla made her transition working as a Biologist at a Pathology Lab to a full time photographer. She decided photography was what she wanted to do when she started documenting moments with her own children. Twyla’s work is both honest and surreal to me; it evokes emotions that hit you deep down and leave an imprint.

Twyla will be speaking at at Choo Choo Camp this October, 10 – 13th 2016, in NYC! If you want to hear her speak, sign up and confirm your ticket here.

1. What do making images mean to you?

I’m choosing the moments in life that really speak to me that I want to live on.  Moments I feel are so powerful they deserve to be felt again. More often than not these moments are originating from embraces, glances, fleeting moments that have never been photographed but that I’ve experienced and feel compelled to share.

2. What is life to you? What it should be?

Life to me is pursuing what it is that makes me feel like I am living. For me this is being with my children and watching as they discover new amazing things every day. This is also the pursuit of adventure and beauty through all living things. Creating images that speak to me and seeing them resonate with someone else is incredibly fulfilling.   

3. There are a lot of professions out there – why be a photographer?

I honestly just stumbled into it. I have a degree in Human Biology and have been working at a Pathology Lab in my hometown for ages. As long as I can remember I’ve had some type of camera in my hand attempting to record the events around me. Once my children were born I finally decided to get serious and have some say in how my images looked beyond what i was seeing in the frame. After a few months a friend asked me to photograph her son and I’ve just said yes to everything since that day. I have been so fortunate to receive some incredible support from my family and friends, without which I could not have obsessively taken on this craft.

4. How much is your family an influence on the way you view life, see things?

In absolutely every single way. I’ve always kind of felt like I was still living in my little kid head (something my mother nurtured incredibly well) so it’s a pleasure having my little boys to share things with. I’m still fascinated by bugs and berries and anything under a rock. There is something so powerful that happens after you have children and every embrace and tug and plea seems incredibly precious and I think I have a heightened awareness of that now.

5. Are you creativity satisfied at the moment?

Incredibly. I’ve found that shooting for myself has been the best thing I have done in my photographic journey, better than any holdfast or preset even. There is something so freeing about getting as weird as you want and having the courage to shoot in new kinds of light and settings.

6. What music are you listening to?

The dreamiest of dreamy music, haha. My favourite at the moment is GAPS – I know it’s you but i also listen to a lot of José González, Alt-J, and Bon Iver, with a little Portishead and Flaming Lips mixed in to keep it weird. I like for my images to feel the way this music makes me feel. If you’d like to fall asleep you can find my dreamy playlist on Spotify.

7. Describe your path to what you’re doing now.

I am really trying to listen to what is in my head and heart and I have to remark that sometimes that can be incredibly difficult to do being inundated by such incredible images day in and day out. I think it’s important to let that inspiration just flow through you. Whatever sparked something within you will stay with you and you have to trust that all the right things will be conjured up in a unique way just for you when the moment presents itself.  

8. Have you had any mentors along the way?

I actually haven’t really even had any photographer friends until just recently and that is such an incredible thing to finally be a part of.  My friend Anne has been an incredible support to me navigating through the world of websites and branding, weird ideas and terrible pictures, amazing brides and whatever you’d like to call the opposite of that, haha. She was brave enough to pick up a camera and second shoot some weddings with me with only a very brief photography lesson from me and she really has been all around amazing. Sometimes just having someone around to tell you you’re not awful when you’re afraid you might be is all you need.

9. Do you shoot with your left or right eye?

I had to take a picture to know, it’s the right!

10. Where do you see yourself in 10 year’s time?  

Hopefully doing a lot more of this but in some more amazing places!  I want to see and experience everything. I’m dying to share new cultures and  experiences with my children.  I would like to become more of an asset to the photography community and have something of value to contribute. It can be so difficult pouring yourself into your work and i think it’s incredibly important that we are here for one another and cheering each other on to be better every day. Everyone needs that.

Bonus Q: Do you think the gear you use affects the way you photograph? Why?

To an extent. I think i can still express emotion with the camera on my phone but to really take you into the moment i just need a lens to take me around 1.8  Of course I have gear I prefer to do this with and that make it a lot easier.  My gear of choice at the moment is a nikon d750 and sigma art 35.  I have other cameras and lenses but this is really all i want. The freedom i have when i’m not tied down with other lenses and accessories allows me to really focus on the moment. Oh-My-God. I also have to mention the amazing little couch editing desk my fiancé Gary made me. I learned everything I know sitting at this thing while nursing an infant and to this day I’m way more productive editing from a couch than a desk.

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Darina Stoda was born in Estonia – a place of forests and rivers straight out of folklore, and has since lived for many years in Norfolk surrounded by large wild spaces and ocean. Darina’s dreamy work reflects these environments – and her love of being outdoors with her camera. We are really excited to hear her current plans to leave her 9-5 job and explore her art further. Even though I’ve never been to Norfolk or most parts of the UK, when I see Darina’s work, I can almost smell and feel the crisp air – her dreamy approach to incorporating nature in her story telling is inviting.

What do making images mean to you?

Creating stories and memories, not just for someone else, but for myself too. Photography gives me an incredible opportunity to meet new people, explore new places, travel, feel.

What is life to you? What it should be?

It’s a journey. Though it’s not always smooth, but it wouldn’t be as exciting if we didn’t have to encounter many challenges, right? Life should be a learning curve, always.

How does where you live influence your creativity? 

I have lived in Norfolk, UK since I was twelve years old. The outdoors, beautiful countryside and the British coast have been my biggest inspiration. I love the large spaces, fresh seaside air and the smell of pine trees. I was born in Estonia, which is known for its primeval forests and winding rivers. It’s a dreamland for nature lovers. I spent my childhood climbing trees and skipping stones. I guess you can say I’m a wild child at heart. I create most of my work outdoors; I love using nature as my backdrop.

There are a lot of professions out there – why be a photographer?

I never intended for photography to be my profession. I then suddenly had the urge to constantly create and while doing so I realised just how happy I was being out and about with my camera.

I have been doing marketing for a local business for almost three years now. And I find myself sitting in the office, feeling a little empty, with my mind floating somewhere in the woods. Making images makes me feel alive.

So I have two weeks left at my current job. I have finally decided to leave and throw myself into this stream of happiness, excitement and adventures. I can’t wait!

Are you creatively satisfied at the moment?

I am content at the moment. My mind is always bursting with new ideas, I just need more hours in the day to actually get out and photograph more! I constantly want to try out new things and learn. There’s always room for improvement too.

What do you like to eat?

SEAFOOD! Always. Oh and cheese!

Describe your path to what you’re doing now.

A complete rollercoaster. I went from wanting to be a vet to wanting to work in an advertising agency. I then ended up being an assistant manager in a nightclub, and then moved onto marketing. For a very long time I felt scared about the future, but staying focused and motivated helped me a lot. I’m finally at a point where I know what I want to do and what I want to achieve. I feel very lucky to finally be able to do photography full time.

Have you had any mentors along the way?

Every single person I have ever worked or collaborated with has taught me something and gave me great advice. I am very lucky to have met some incredible and talented people along the way. However my mother was the one who discovered the creative side in me. When I was little I wanted to work with animals, but mother saw something in me I didn’t and she got me a camera for my birthday. I haven’t put it down since!

Do you shoot with your left or right eye?

Right. Though sometimes my left eye is also open, just so I don’t miss a thing. Life is so unpredictable sometimes! 🙂

Where do you see yourself in 10 year’s time?

Hmmm…walking along the coast, smiling, breathing in the fresh air, with an arm around on my shoulder and a very happy dog (tongue on the side, and having no control over his waggling tail kind of happy!)…creating new memories and planning adventures. Oh and hopefully still with a camera in my hand of course!

Do you think the gear you use affects the way you photograph? Why?

Sure. The gear is just one of the things that contribute towards creating that final image. It helped with developing my own style. I’m a Canon girl, and it’s important to know your gear like the back of your hand.  If you know what you want to achieve and you can achieve it with the gear you use, then it’s a dream team!

GEAR LIST

• Canon 5D Mark II
• 50mm
• 35mm
• 200mm
• Speedlite 430EX II

FIELD NOTES

I work mainly with digital. Though when I was at college I was happy to spend hours in the darkroom developing prints, but when you have to work within certain time frame (especially during the wedding season) working with digital is much more efficient.

I also have a Kodak Colorsnap 35 camera, which comes out to play every now and then, however my goal this summer is to experiment with it more! I have a lot of love for Tri-X and would love to work on some b&w projects.

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Based in Spain, Don & Helen document weddings all over the world. Don grew up poor in the Philippines and he understands how to be happy even with very little possessions. Helen, Don’s partner in crime, was inspired from a young age to create. Making photographs to Don & Helen is like stopping time  – it’s the artist observing the subject and the scene, and incorporating emotion into a photograph that forms part of who we are – a gift for when our memories fail us. Pretty impressive approach, we think! Don & Helen’s work speaks humour, spontaneity and most importantly, the emotional connection to a moment captured in their frame forever.

1. What does making images mean to you?

HELEN: It means having the power to stop time. So over the years when our memory begins to fail, we will always have something to remember, where we came from, who has gone through our lives and where we are going.

DON: Creating meaningful images is a way to express the way we see things, the way we feel emotions. It´s an extension of who we really are, what we shoot, how we shoot, and why we shoot says so much about ourselves.

2. What is life to you? What it should be?

HELEN: Life’s a journey of ups and downs but we always try to enjoy every little detail, appreciate the people around us and above all be grateful for all.

DON: Life is gift from God that we should value and appreciate. Life will be a lot better if we start thinking less about ourselves and start thinking more about the welfare of others.

3. How does where you live influence your creativity? 

DON: I was raised by my grandparents in a slum area in Manila, Philippines. We were very poor and I personally know what it means to be hungry but when I think back those days when I was a kid growing up in a depressed area, playing in the streets, collecting bottles and newspapers in exchange of a peso, raising my 3 siblings. I don’t remember being sad, I remember being happy thinking that tomorrow will be a lot better than today. I don’t have any photos of myself growing up nor of my grandparents to whom I owe my life because our “improvised home” always, always(!!!) caught fire every year. Then I came to the Canary Islands and met a beautiful lady, my best friend and my life and my workmate Helen. She taught me in many many ways how to be truly happy!

HELEN: I grew up in a very quiet island where you can leave the doors of the houses open all day, we played in the street all day without having fear of anyone. My father is a craftsman and I worked with him since I was small and grew up watching him create out of nothing precious figurines. This made me want to create new things. My mother is an entrepreneur and she let us choose what we wanted to learn… dancing, sewing, learning language, cooking, skating etc. And now with Don, my eyes are always being opened every time we visit new places, meet people, new customs, new traditions.

4. There are a lot of professions out there – why be a photographer? 

DON: I studied nursing in college, worked as an theatre actor and dancer and a glass artisan. Now we have been fully dedicated as photographers for 4 years. It all started when a friend was looking for someone to document her wedding – I volunteered without thinking – at that time I wasn’t paid, I wasn’t a photographer. I didn’t know how to use a camera, I didn’t have a camera. So I borrowed a Sony point and shoot, went to the wedding, then to my surprise my friend´s father had hired a real photographer. The question was, should I shoot or just let the pro do their job? I shot and shot and shot!!! After some months Helen prepared a scrapbook of the images that I took, we went to the couple to give our humble present. To our surprise, they cried and cried while looking at my crappy images. I was so embarrassed how bad my pictures were. Later they explained why they were crying – it was because their photographer had lost all their wedding images… That is when we realized we wanted to be “real photographers”!

HELEN: It came without planning, just started as a personal experience and we liked it … Now we only work in photography. When I was small I wanted to be a vet but I didn’t like to study a lot, didn’t want to get involved in a university degree for years. So I graduated as a director of construction and decoration. I worked very little on thats. All my life I have been very closely related with arts and crafts from my family tradition, going to fairs and tradeshows was amazing. When I met Don we worked as Hawaiian dancers in a show. It was a lot of fun!!!

5. Are you creatively satisfied at the moment?

HELEN: sometimes yes, sometimes no.

DON: At the moment Yes.

6. What do you like to eat?

HELEN: French fries and chocolates!!!

DON: Oh yeah!!! I love Mexican and Japanese food XO

7.  Describe your path to what you’re doing now.

DON: Always have a balance between work and living. We work to live, not live to work. We are always learning to give more importance to what matters most in our life.

HELEN: I second that!

8. Have you had any mentors along the way?

HELEN: My husband, At first he told me how I should improve my shooting, he had to… but most of the time I ignored him. LOL!!!

DON: Helen.

9. Do you shoot with your left or right eye?

HELEN: Right … Although I should try left  … They say that will increase the creative part of the brain 🙂

DON: Right eye and sometimes I have both eyes open.

10. Where do you see yourself in 10 year’s time?

HELEN: We do not know what will happen the next week … so I don’t think much about it, maybe we will be in a different country, learning a new language, maybe another job but I’m hoping to enjoy new adventures with my husband.

DON:  I see ourselves doing missionary work in a remote area where the need is great 🙂

Bonus Q: Do you think the gear you use affects the way you photograph? Why?

BOTH: Yes it affects the way we photograph. Our gear should be like an extension of our body, we have to be comfortable using it and we have to know how to use it very well. But we are more emotional junkies than gear heads.

PRESETS:

• Tribe Archipelago Don+Helen
• Tribe Red Leaf Element Air / Redwood

GEAR LIST:

• 5d Classic,
• 2 x 5d mark II,
• 2 x 6d,
• 85mm,
• 50mm,
• 40mm,
• 35mm,
• 3 flashes

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Portugal based photographer Jesus Caballero, traded in a career as a biologist for photography. It began when he first helped his father develop photos in their darkroom as a child. Now he is on the look-out for surprises and inspirations (daily!), not the least from his beloved home city of Lisbon. Trained professionally in photojournalism (even mentored by a Magnum photographer), Jesus skillfully combines lifestyle with photojournalism to give wedding a fine art visual voice.

1 What do making images mean to you?

Being in the moment, being carried away with curiosity, framing a story. I have photographed  since I was child, so it is part of my life. Photography is an excuse to do things – to travel, listen to music, visit a city or watch a film. And it is something that I have in common with my wife!

I really need to photograph people and tell something about them, to give a part of their story. For me photography is like music: universal, easy to connect with and transmit

2 What is life to you? what is should be?

Sounds typical, but for me it is an adventure with pauses, fast times and is the best place to work on happiness. In these hard times I need to believe we can be still be happy and this includes taking care the others.

3 How does where you live influence your creativity?

My city always gives me new and nice surprises. It keeps me alert and curious about what’s next. Portugal has been my home for the last 17 years and every day I discover a new thing. It keeps my creativity and spirit going. We travel a lot, visiting our family and friends in Spain, UK and all of Portugal, Madeira included (friends call us “the nomads”) and I guess my creativity comes from this existence. Although we like a calm and simple life, every weekend my children ask to fly again and want to know who we are going to visit next!

4 There are a lot of professions out there – why be a photographer?

Since I was 7 years old, I remember developing film with my father in his makeshift darkroom in the bathroom of our home. I can still vividly recall the darkroom – the red light, the smell of chemicals, and seeing photographs appear like magic. Back then, I did a lot of Super8 films. We also experimented with developing colour negatives. This progressed to me managing a photography room for the University for 3 years when I was attending there – and I was then also actively involved in photography activities organised by Museums.

I gained a PhD in GIS and Biology without a grant – I worked at night to fund my studies while my day job as a Biologist meant I spent my outdoors with marine & bird species (like tuna, whales, dolphins, eagles), and working on European Territory Management projects. Though I liked my work and enjoyed it, I felt photography was always ‘calling out’ to me. So around 2006, I quit my day job, left my comfort zone, studied photography professionally for 1 year. For 3 years, I photographed a lot of products and fashion and in 2010, I started my wedding photography business.

5 Are your creatively satisfied at the moment?

I’m never satisfied creatively but I am more relaxed about it these days. I have decided to stop looking at other photographer’s work, especially with all the social media influx of posts where it can get overwhelming. I now focus my time and energy on my photography, family, books and travel. With two young children at 5 and 3, we have very little time so I prioritise. I also do workouts and make sure I balance everything in life. I think by staying focused this way, I can challenge myself creatively.

6 What are you reading now?

I have a pile of books waiting for me at my night table. Currently I am reading books by Saramago, the Portuguese writer. One of my faves from him is the Elephant’s Journey. Some books about the history of Portugal and Spain are consulted frequently and when summer comes, I always love to read detective novels from Henning Mankel, Donna Leon or Petros Markaris. From time to time I re-read some of my old Comics of Corto Maltesse!

For my photography business, I am always reading about marketing, social media, productivity and inspiration. These are some that I’ve been reading lately: Daily Rituals by Mason Currey, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, Networking by Keith Ferrazi, Fine Art Wedding by Jose Villa, The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell.

And I love to stay inspired with magazines about travel, lifestyle, decor and music. Have I told you I love to read? (and I take notes on my notebooks too!)

7 Describe your path to what you are doing now.

At this moment I feel I am at a sweet point where I understand that I want to do. I know my limits. So my frustration is a lot less than 2-3 years ago, when I was trying to understand my business and how much effort I needed to achieve some of my goals.

Now, my first goal is to be happy, make my clients happy and be proud of the photography I do. Honestly, personal happiness and productivity as adjectives could define me.

8 Have you had any mentors along the way?

When I was young, my father was my first Mentor. When I was at University, I attended workshops about film development, composition, various art projects. During this time, while in Spain, my wife and I attended workshops from accomplished photojournalists, war and fine art photographers – to name a few: Cristina Garcia Rodero; Ouka Lele and Koldo Chamorro. And we also visited a lot of art galleries, photography exhibitions. Right before we moved to Barcelona in 2004, my mentor was Jesus Guitierrez (now retired) who at the time photographed for Getty, and lent me his medium format Contax 645 to play with – that was the tipping point towards me shooting with medium format slides. He was a tough Mentor – and I spent a lot of money on slides but I can never thank him enough. That was before I studied photography professionally for a year when we moved to Lisbon in 2006.

9 Do you shoot with your left or right eye?

Mostly right. But I do use both when I need to or when I feel tired. It’s handy to shoot with one and use the other to ‘look around’ so I don’t miss what is around me. Never, never, take a lens from the upper side, always down with your open hand to balance the weight. I think that was the first “professional” tip someone gave me years ago!

10 Where do you see yourself in 10 years´s time?

I see the coming times as bringing on my main work for sure. I want to photograph weddings, lifestyle and travel for the next 10 years! I am preparing some projects about travel, wine, food and traditions to back up my editorial work.

BONUS: Do you think your gear affects the way you photography? Why?

I think yes. I love my Canon gear, know it really well and know its limits around focus and ISO. It could be better, of course. I believe how I approach a scene and my thinking on it syncs with my gear. I also use Fuji for my editorial work and personal projects (below black and white compilation), and for some parts of weddings. I feel working with these two different systems changes some of my habits.

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GEAR LIST:

FIELD NOTES:

Digital mostly. I choose digital and like to work with it because it lets me get onto it as soon as I finished the session. It is great once you have your workflow and system set-up. It’s more efficient that way, and it serves my clients too.

I customised my own according to my style using the following as a starting point:

• VSCO Kodak 400, Fuji 160, Kodak TriX

• Mastin Lab Various

• Replicrome Various

But I also shoot with my old Pentagon Six (Medium format) and Fujifilm instant films for personal work, family snaps and travels.

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Berlin based photographers Susann and Yannic created a food blog “Kraut | Kopf ” two years ago to share their love on making good food during the off Wedding season (Winter months) and have not looked back since. Kraut | Kopf has hosted a number of community dinner events and with a cook book under their belt, Susann and Yannic share with us their motivation and journey – creating vegetarian recipes inspired by fresh seasonal produce from local farmers. Hungry yet?

Credit (German-English Translation): Sven Malojlo, Editor Show Your Gear.

1. What does making images mean to you?

We started photography almost 15 years ago and it became such a big part of our life. We learned so much about ourselves, about life and our environment, through photography. From the beginning photography was a kind of expression for us and a way to communicate with other people.

2. What is life to you? What it should be?

Life to us is an amazing opportunity and adventure. To share love and experience and learn from others in a continuous process. We love being curious, exploring our environment in a childlike way, and doing things that make us happy. Because in the end everyone is searching for love and happiness.   

3 Where did you grow up and how did that play a part in your photography?

Susann: I was born and raised in a small town in East Germany. Thinking about my hometown it was a sad place. There were a lot of abandoned houses in which I snuck in to take self portraits. I thought about unhappy people, who hoped for more in their lives. All that has resulted in a melancholia I still love to capture in my photos.

4 There are a lot of professions out there – why be a photographer? 

Photography is our life and is as natural as breathing and eating. We can’t imagine doing something else. It is the perfect medium for us to share our thoughts, desires, fears and emotions with other people. To do this as a full time job is really a privilege. We love our work and could not imagine anything more beautiful.

5 Are you creatively satisfied at the moment?

We’re never satisfied, but that’s our incentive, that’s what pushes us forward.

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6 What music are you listening to?

Most of the time it’s soul, r’n’b, beat and garage music from before 1969.

7 Describe the path to what you’re doing now.

We both started photography in our youth. Almost 10 years ago we founded a photogroup (www.zimmer117.de) which showed photos online, organised exhibitions and published books and magazines The photos there are really personal, almost like diaries for us. Because making such an important part of your life into your daily job in scary, the decision was really hard, but in the end everything led to an apprenticeship in photography. Therefore we not only had the creative background from our youth, but also a strong technical background. Both these together affected our photographic style.

8 How did Kraut | Kopf start – you also photograph weddings for commission, how do you manage time between wedding commissions and Kraut | Kopf?

We’ve been photographing weddings for the last 5 years. Since wedding photography is seasonal we have a little more time in the colder months to try out new things and projects – that’s what makes it exciting for us – as we both can’t see us doing the same thing over and over again. We need some compensation against boredom. That was the reason we started a food blog “Kraut | Kopf” two years ago. We both love cooking and it’s great that we are able to share this passion for good food with others through our photography. We would never have thought how many people we could reach within such a short amount of time. Meanwhile we have released our own cookbook and photograph food jobs for our customers on a regular basis. Even though it´s a lot of work getting it all balanced – it’s still a lot of fun!

9 Do you shoot with your left or right eye?

The right one, but it’s not the eyes you’re shooting with. It’s more your soul.

10 Where do you see yourself in 10 year’s time?

We don´t think a lot about the future. We don’t plan a lot of things and just let the things flow without bothering too much. We don’t know if we will still be living in Berlin in 10 years time or if we will even still be photographing. Even if it sounds a little cliche we hope that we will still have each other and that we’ll be happy. That’s the only thing that matters.

Bonus Q: Do you think the gear you use affects the way you photograph? Why? 

We think every photo needs its own medium. We photograph using digital and film. And we use all different kinds of cameras. Every camera has its own character, which transports into the image. Our commercial work is mostly shot in digital. We want the best and consistent quality for our customers.

For our wedding work we use a Canon 5d Mark III with all kinds of lenses from 24mm to 135mm  (24mm f/1.4 L, 35mm f/1.4 L, 45mm f/2.8 TSE, 50mm f/1.2 L, 85mm f/1.2 L, 100mm f/2.8 L Macro, 135mm f/2.0 L) to get the right shot in the right situation every time.

Our food photos are mainly shot with 35mm, 50mm and 100mm.

For the post production we use Adobe Lightroom with customiaed VSCO presets. Our main focus is to get a look that matches our film, because we still shoot our private work on film.

It is very important for us to take our personal work on film to deal with a picture in a more intense way. Because it’s a different process. You take a picture much more carefully, control the properties of film while developing it, pick out the final frames from a contact sheet and print it by hand in the darkroom. But we always try to keep it simple. One type of film (Kodak Tri-X) and always the same developer (AGFA Rodinal). We started with medium format cameras but with time our cameras became smaller and smaller. Actually we’re shooting most of the time with a Leica M6/M7 and compact cameras like Contax T3, Ricoh Gr1, Olympus µ-II

You can find our latest personal story on: http://bit.ly/1VtQggo.

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Auckland based New Zealand photographer, Danelle Bohane, started photography when her grandfather bought her a camera when she was still young, and then gave film as a regular birthday present. From there it has been a journey of discovery inspired by her love of people, art and connections. She has been photographing weddings for the last five years now. Her work strikes a delicate balance between photojournalism and fine art – with every element skillfully included in the frame.

1. What do making images mean to you?

Making art is something that I need to do, it’s not just a job but rather it is part of who I am and a natural expression of the emotions that I am feeling or those of who I am photographing.

2. What is life to you? What it should be?

For me life is about creating and connecting. This is something very dear to my heart and what keeps me focussed in life and business. I think as humans we innately have a need to connect with people and to create, and for me that is my art.  

3. Where did you grow up and how did that play a part in your photography?

I was born in a small town called Townsville in Queensland, Australia but at a very young age my family moved to Auckland, New Zealand so I would definitely claim to be a kiwi. I think the culture but mostly the people that are around me here in New Zealand has been what has shaped me and what I do. I feel very fortunate to have had such a positive and supportive upbringing where I was encouraged to follow what I love to do rather than what is the ‘right/academic’ thing to do, I was also always encouraged to connect with many different types of people within my day to day so I feel like this has influenced my photography and business as I get as much joy at being around the people I photograph as I do creating images. Also being in a beautiful country like New Zealand I have always had such a connection to nature and the land and I feel like this has influenced my photography visually.

4. There are a lot of professions out there – why be a photographer?

I have always been interested in photography from when I was little, my grandfather bought me a camera and for many birthdays, he always used to send me film with a $10 note rolled into the canister. I just love that he encouraged me to create at such a young age and I knew this was my direction and it was something I could never shake off, it’s ingrained into who I am. I currently work for myself and I don’t think I could do it any other way, yes you wear many more hats when you run your own business but to have the flexibility and continual ability to capture moments for a living is very fulfilling.

5. Are you creatively satisfied at the moment?

I wonder if I ever will be? Sometimes I think not being satisfied is what drives you to create and think of new ways to do things.  I know there are ways I can feel more satisfied than what I am at the moment, I need to shoot more for myself but I always find that a difficult task when busyness sets in due to wedding season and I do get so much satisfaction for creating what I do for my couples.  I think the relationship I build with the people I get to photograph definitely help fulfill the creative process of satisfaction but in my eyes there are so many elements that input into this.

6. Do you have a “second profession” or passion?

At this stage all of my attention and time is focussed on my photography and business. Though my husband and I have a huge passion for brunch dates and drinking a good coffee brew. I hope that doesn’t make me sound like a boring person.

7. What are you reading now?

“The Scent Of A Dream: Travels In The World Of Coffee” by Sebastian Salgado… Can I even say I am reading that? It’s literally 98% imagery and 20 pages of text, but I am half way through taking in all the images. “Louder than Words” by Todd Henry – every creative business owner should read this, there are so many ‘a-ha’ moments.

8. Describe your path to what you’re doing now.

I was reading a Facebook post by a friend a number of weeks back and he wrote about being more concerned about how we walk out our path than the path we are on, and I couldn’t agree more. I think in today’s society we are always so caught up in making the big decisions and putting a lot of pressure on ourselves to creating the best path possible for our lives, which I can absolutely relate to. What I think will really make our lives the most enjoyable is to embrace the journey we are on, to celebrate those relationships we do life with and I think we will be amazed in the journeys we all travel over a lifetime. In saying this there are ups and downs in the path we walk and getting to where I am now in my journey definitely has it’s mundane moments with mountains of admin, making mistakes in business and life and hours upon hours of trial and error but there has been so many rewarding moments that outweigh the not so great moments. I have been lucky to have such incredible support and encouragement from family and friends over the last five years from when I chose to step out and launch into photography and running a business and that is where I count my blessings. I have chosen to focus a lot on the experience my couples have with me as much as refining a style and making sure I am out putting work that is consistent.

9. Do you shoot with your left or right eye?

My left eye.

10. Where do you see yourself in 10 year’s time?

Living in the mountains with a beautiful family and still photographing and travelling. I have been really challenged lately to make decisions that are based from what my husband and I dream of rather than living by the expectations of others, that is probably way easier said than done. I would really hate to come to the end of life thinking that I really wished I did something and never did it because I was scared of someone else’s opinion… hoping that is more like 70 years time than 10 😉

Bonus Q: Do you think the gear you use affects the way you photograph? Why?  

I think its a good Idea to have good quality gear, I am really hard on my cameras and lenses and do a terrible job at looking after them. I don’t think it has affects on the way I photograph except I probably over shoot to make sure I really nail the focus. I think I will be able to get the same results I do from other similar products / brands but I am really not that into gear, and I still probably don’t know half of what my camera could actually do, but it doesn’t really bother me. Though in saying that I am looking forward to seeing how the gear market does change in the next couple of years, definitely getting over the heavy gear.

Gear LIst

• canon 5d mk 3 x2
• canon 24mm f1.4
• canon 35mm f1.4
• canon 50mm f1.2
• canon 85mm f1.2
• canon 135. f.2
• canon speed lights x2

Field Notes

I think its a good Idea to have good quality gear, I am really hard on my cameras and lenses and do a terrible job at looking after them. I don’t think it has affects on the way I photograph except I probably over shoot to make sure I really nail the focus. I think I will be able to get the same results I do from other similar products / brands but I am really not that into gear, and I still probably don’t know half of what my camera could actually do, but it doesn’t really bother me. Though in saying that I am looking forward to seeing how the gear market does change in the next couple of years, definitely getting over the heavy gear. 

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Based in Anglet, Southwestern of France, Thierry Joubert shoots weddings worldwide. To Thierry, life is about building real connections with people, be it family or the couples he meets and photographs. Inspired by memories of a nomadic life, Thierry blends childlike openness, and philosophical ideas of trace and sign, with a skill for telling other people’s stories. Unafraid of dreaming big – Thierry’s work showcases his mastery of light and the depth of human emotions.

Editor’s Update: Thierry will be speaking at Choo Choo Camp this October, 10 – 13th 2016, in NYC! If you want to hear him speak, sign up here.

1. What does making images mean to you?

Telling a story, setting the time, leaving a trace. Wedding photography brings me so much. It’s a time of sharing with my couples. A connection.

2. What is life to you? What it should be?

For me, life is my family. My wife and my 2 boys. After that, my couples. It’s they who allow me to live, to be happy and fulfilled. I don’t want much besides that. I prioritise human relationships. I’m open to others, to those who want it. I’m not calculative when it comes to giving my time & energy to others. To exist on this earth and not share with others makes no sense to me. Life is about sharing in my opinion.

3. Where did you grow up and how did that play a part in your photography?

I moved 12 times since birth till I turned 18 years old, living in France and abroad because of my father’s job. “Travel” certainly opened my mind during my childhood and has inspired me to extend this into my adulthood.

I think part of me remains in the memories of my childhood and being childlike. My logo was inspired by my childhood; it was my wish. A tree that represents life and a kite and a swing reminiscent of carefree childhood. Daring to dream, keeping one’s innocence allows one to keep a healthy balance with today’s world.

4. There are a lot of professions out there – why be a photographer?

Telling stories always fascinated me. Now I do that with a camera. My “past” is just the opposite of my present. I spent 18 years in the French Army. But also on trips in another state of mind.

Years passed so quickly during my childhood. Memories are only in my mind like “virtual” images. Today, for me photographing people permits me to leave a real sign.

5. Are you creativity satisfied at the moment?

I strive for creative satisfaction by focusing first on building a genuine connection with my subjects. So in that way, I am creatively satisfied. 🙂

6. What are you reading now?

“To kill a mockingbird” By Harper LEE.

7. Describe your path to what you’re doing now.

My past life was a first life for me. Without this past, without this experience, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I would not make the pictures I make, see the world the way I see it. Knowing one’s current self is to understand one’s past. (Getting into your past to see as you as you are today.) Restart my life? I wouldn’t change anything.

8. Do you make more personal images or are they mainly for other people?

Except wedding commissions, I only take pictures of my family, mostly in film, because I like to have them in my hands and print them and put them on the walls of my family house. It’s like leaving a trace.

9. Do you shoot with your left or right eye?

Right. And I shoot with my heart.

10. Where do you see yourself in 10 year’s time?

I’m not able to know where I’ll be in 2 years… In 10… I still hope I’ll be travelling to document love stories. I hope I’ll be writing a book. And still photographing as I can’t live without that since I always view human relationships as an important aspect in my life.

Bonus Q: Do you think the gear you use affects the way you photograph? Why?

I like to say and think that the material must adapt to our mind and never the opposite. Our mind, our desire to create and connect with couples, that I believe is crucial. But for us to artistically express what we are internally we must also prioritise the equipment. I like to say and think what concerns me is that the priority remains our mind, our heart and the hardware. Our cameras are extensions of our minds.

Field Notes:

I only work in digital.

In digital, I love deep black and white, which reflects my past, my experiences, something I never want to forget and which I use every day to create.

I keep film for my family pictures, my personal pictures. Rolleiflex, Nikon FM3a, Polaroid… I prefer Black & White rolls rather than color. I found film in 1996. I take pleasure developing  film and paper prints, discovering the magic of the negative, or the appearance of an image in the darkroom… The smell of fixer, touching the sheet, contemplating the image, the work.

Gear List:

• 2 NIKON D750
• 24mm 1,4 Nikon
• 35mm 1,4 Nikon
• 50mm 1,4 Nikon
• 85mm 1,8 Nikon
• Flash SB700
• Filson Bag

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See also our other interview with Thierry : Then and Now.

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