This month I thought I’d do Meet The Maker, it’s a trend on Instagram where you get to know all about me! Let’s hope I’m interesting enough for you all…..so here goes!
What do I do and how long have I been doing it?
I am a photographer who specialises in newborn photography. I have been running my little business for just over three years after a career of 15 years being an accountant!
How did I get into photography?
My dad always loved arty, creative things and loved photography. I used to draw with him and I remember him experimenting with light and his camera and loved seeing his developed images back in the time before digital photography. I have always loved dance, drawing and anything that allowed me to be creative when I was growing up. I was pretty good at maths at school and was one of those children who could do well academically without trying too hard and I fell into a career as an accountant. I climbed the ladder over the 15 years and fell into a well paid career that paid the bills and was hard to escape. Photography became a hobby at first allowing me to escape the numbers and to tap into my creative side.
Did I quit my job or build it up alongside working before It became a full-time role?
At first I would book in weddings, family outdoor shoots etc alongside my accounting role on weekends and evenings until I had too may bookings. The time then came to take the plunge. The best decision I ever made!
What do I enjoy the most about my job?
I just adore babies and find each and every tiny bundle an absolute miracle. No matter how many babies I see, each session I am still totally amazed by the creation of a tiny little perfect human. The best thing about my job is capturing those tiny first weeks that pass by so very quickly, creating a pure, simple, natural images of a beautiful new arrival to the world for family to treasure forever.
What do I enjoy least about my job?
I suppose the least fun part is the washing! As I love to create very natural images, my biggest hate is to see a nappy in a photo. This does mean piles of washing every day. It is worth it though! x
What’s the funniest moment I’ve had in my role?
The funniest moments have involved action shots of baby sick mid air or the explosions these tiny bundles have when they have no nappy on. At one session an adorable little baby boy not only covered mum and dad (an amazing action shot with dad) but at the end of the session decided to cover me too. I was literally soaked and had to go and change! At another session one beautiful tiny baby girl managed to miss me and instead hit my white walls! The joys of being a baby photographer. Thankfully being a mum myself I am very used to it all 🙂
What Camera do I use?
After starting out with a Canon 350d given to me by my lovely daddy, I now shoot with a Canon 6d. I would love to upgrade again in the near future but these cameras really do cost an arm and a leg. I mainly use my 24-70 2.8 lens
What do I use to edit my photos and how long does it typically take?
I edit my photos using photoshop. I first edit camera RAW files then move the images into photoshop to perfect all the tiny details. There is a lot more to newborn photography than just pressing the button. I take a great deal of time creating calm beautiful images and editing a session can take anything from 2-3 hours depending on baby’s skin. We think of babies as having perfect skin but as i photograph in the first tiny weeks, their skin is till getting used to a lot and very often it is blotchy and flaky. I spend a great deal of time removing each little flake, toning down each red mark and adjusting any extreme jaundice that shows up in my natural light.
What’s the best way for me to capture beautiful images as a beginner?
As a beginner, I kept things very simple and this is what I would recommend doing. Even now, my favourite images are the very simple and natural ones. There really is so much beauty in simplicity. Only after a great deal of bespoke training and practice should you move onto the harder poses and posing with props. Safety is the most important thing with little bundles.
What tips would you give to anyone starting a business?
Make sure you do something that you love. Do something that each day you look forward to doing. Even now after photographing hundreds of babies I still smile seeing each editing gallery all ready for parents to see. I feel so proud of my images and I also feel so privileged to have held their tiny bundles and captured such precious memories. I really do think I have the best job in the world. It is important to be prepared for long hours and hard work but it really is rewarding. I have made mistakes along the way and probably still will but I try to grow and learn from them. I am thankful for the continued support from friends, family and clients. I wouldn’t be doing the job I love without all these people x
I hope you have enjoyed learning about why I started my photography business and why it’s my passion! If you enjoyed reading this please be sure to leave me a comment or if you have any other questions I’d be happy to do a round two!!
Michelle xoxo
