Thank you for purchasing the PHOTOGRAPHING NATURALLY: FAMILIES workshop course and joining along with me!

A little background about myself before we continue...

Introduction:

Hi, I'm Raye!

I have been photographing families since 2004. Before I became a photographer on a full time basis, I was a computer programmer for a national trucking company. I got my start because my son's photographer (the only one in our area doing custom portraits in her home), moved 2 hours away. I got it in my head that I could create a studio in my home using all the lights/flashes/paper backgrounds and never looked back really.

Later on, I realized that I felt more draw towards becoming a natural light photographer. I joined many groups like IlovePhotography.com and Flickr and met some wonderful peers along the way. A few ended up being some of my best friends. Those connections bloomed as quickly as my skills and soon I had clients not only making 3-4 hour trips for sessions in my home, but others were flying me out to theirs across the country.

Then, in 2010, I had the incredible privilege of being one of three teachers at a 2 week in-person photography course in a luxury mansion in Brisbane, Australia. That experience has truly been one of my greatest treasures in my career. The students were so very welcoming and inspired me to continue to teach a SOLD OUT workshop online at LearnShootInspire. The courses offered here are the exact same.

Although it has been some time since these lessons were first offered/published, the beauty of Photographing Naturally is that it timeless..I hope after completion, you will feel the same too.

My Location:

Although I have photographed teens (seniors) and couples (engagements) in the past, I now concentrate on newborns, toddlers, and families. I live in a very rural part of Arkansas so that means I market areas hours away. The good part about being out in the country though is that I have bounds of natural surroundings to use at my leisure. Give me a camera, a subject, a natural setting, and some backlighting, and I am content. I also love variety - in locations, in expressions, and in poses. I'm almost known for saying "just one more" because of that fact.

My studio is a large single room add-on to our house. I’m pretty laid back and so most of my home is open to my clients. Toddlers use the playroom while their newborn sibling is being photographed. Daddies watch the big screen TV while waiting. There is a beverage frig stocked with sodas, juice, and water and snacks in the pantry. It is a very family-oriented, warm atmosphere.

My outdoor locations are all within minutes of each other (fields, lake water front, boardwalk, parks and alleyways) which again yield variety and add some “adventure” to the session. Typically, a session will have at least two different locations used – one with backlighting and one with open shade (hence, again, variety).


My Style:

I consider myself to be mix of lifestyle and portrait photographer. I prefer to shoot in familiar locations such as my open fields – there is really nothing else for my subjects to do but begin playing with me or each other. In between play time, there are a few lightly-posed-everyone-looking-at-the-camera shots, but the basis of the session is family interaction. To broaden the depth of emotion captured, I also look for opportunities to use backlighting.

My Gear:

•   Cameras used in videos:
o   Nikon D3
o   Nikon D700

Shooting with two cameras simultaneously has many advantages. By not having to constantly change lenses, it saves me time getting the shot and it reduces wear and tear.

•   Lenses I own
o   50mm f1.4 & 35mm f1.4
o   85mm f1.4
o   135mm f2 & 100mm macro

Depending on the type of session, I use two lenses (one on each camera). Children & families: D3 and 50mm and the D700 and 135mm. I prefer shooting at around f2 on the 50mm lens for individuals of the baby/child and for shots with parents that involve "movement" and play as I do not care if the parent’s face is in focus. When using this combo, I do not expect all individuals to be tack sharp or on the same focal plane because I want the focal point to be on the child. However, when I am posing families for a portrait with eye contact, the 135mm lens comes into play. I simply love this lens with families for many reasons. It is much lighter than my previous 70-200mm. That is a big plus for me since I am carrying around two sets of gear. Secondly, I can shoot at f4 or greater and still get gorgeous bokeh as well as great focus and sharpness on everyone smiling back at me in a group shot. Another plus to this lens is the ability to let me slip out of scene and shoot unnoticed while families are playing. It is also great for giving that shy toddler space.

•   Other gear

I may on a very rare occasion bring a reflector/scrim or wear a white shirt. I never use flash of any kind.