What sets you apart?

It's been a while since my last post. I've been busy learning, experimenting, growing, improving and sharing. I can't help but be amazed with how far I've come, and it's not just the technical side of things. Anyone can learn how to shoot better, Photoshop better, manipulate light better, direct clients to pose better. But lately I'm finding myself actually creating. Creating works of art. Creating worlds. Creating moods. I'm really giving the artist in me the freedom it needs to create.

I was saying to Luke the other day, anyone can pick up a camera and take a decent photo and call themselves a photographer. And I will admit, that is probably how I started too. I thought it would be easy, you know, I've got a DSLR and suddenly my photos look amazing and oh my goodness I am going to make soooo much money from this!!!

Ha.

There is a whole other story to the actual BUSINESS of photography, but I won't get into that now. The reason I mention this conversation is because I said to him, how am I going to set myself apart from every other photographer out there, shooting with cameras and lenses that are way better than mine? And even worse, how am I going to set myself apart when there is a growing consensus that professional photography is a thing of the past - we can take amazing photos on iPhones now! Who wants to spend money on a portrait when we can take selfies for free!?! So I need to be more than that. There needs to be a reason people come to me and not the other 'guy with a camera'.

I remembered that I am an artist. I always have been. This is something that was never taught to me. It's just who I am. And I need to convey that in my work. I need to take my photography to another level, above the standard, and make it mine and make it awesome.

Self portrait: a feather boa, one sheer black piece of fabric, a dead tree, cherry blossom, a wooden fence post, the concrete in the backyard and some further editing in Photoshop and AlienSkin Exposure 5.

50 and Fabulous!

This past fortnight I have had the privilege of shooting two women aged in their fifties. I've been wanting to do this for some time now, because as you know I am all about shooting ALL women. I don't believe beauty is defined by an age or a shape or a size. But I began to notice that my portfolio was starting to fill with young, pretty, slim women - all beautiful in their own right, don't get me wrong - but I was worried that if, say, an older or fuller-figured woman visited my page and saw that and only that, she would be put off and brush me aside as a photographer who only photographs pretty girls. Or she would feel that looking beautiful in photographs is only possible for a certain type of girl and not for her - and that couldn't be further from the truth.

Sure we all have our imperfections. Winter has been unkind to me. Clothes are a bit tighter and I'm noticing a few more fine lines on my face which weren't there last year! But I wouldn't let that stop me from being photographed (especially with hair and makeup done!). I want to exist in beautiful photographs for my children and their children. When they look at photos of me, do you think they'll say, "Gee granny, you sure were a porker back in the day! And look at all those wrinkles!!" Of course not!

My fiance lost his mother when he was 18 (she was 54). All he has left is a few photographs. He doesn't look at her weight or grey hairs or wrinkles or anything else that might otherwise stop us from being photographed. He looks at her and remembers the beautiful woman who raised him to be the man he is today. The woman who clothed and fed him, who taught him how to say please and thank you, who celebrated birthdays and Christmases with him, who wiped his tears and listened to his stories. That is who she really was. That is the woman he sees in those photographs. The woman he misses everyday.

I have no doubt that when the children and grand children of these women see these photographs they will see the same things and cherish them always.

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Girls just wanna have fun!

Wallisian

This post is a little out of the ordinary. As I mentioned in a previous post I recently spent some time up in Sydney. I stayed at my Mum's house and I was more than happy to forage through all our old photos in the hope of finding some good, happy memories to bring back to Melbourne. I found a few of me and my siblings as young children. I found a few of other relatives who are dear to me. 

I also found some that I brought back with me, for no reason other than I just like the look of them. In some of these, I have no idea who the people in the photo are, but the photo just looks good.

So I thought I'd write about them; the unknown subjects and the possible stories behind them. At the same time I thought I'd educate my audience on a place in the world which is relatively unknown: Wallis Island.

My People

The above photo was taken in 1977. I love this photo but have no idea who these ladies are. I think they may have been Sisters (as in nuns) who are/were friends of my aunt, also a nun. 

These women are Wallisian, like my mother. What I like most about this photo is that it offers us a glimpse into the Wallisian culture of yesteryear. They are dressed simply in sarongs. Their hair is simple. The land behind them is virtually untouched. They walk along the shore as the tide comes in. 

This makes me think of the sea in front of my grandfather's house. At low tide, you could walk out towards the reef for miles. As children, my brother and I would spend hours exploring the shallow waters, looking for shells and strange sea creatures.

The last time I was in Wallis Island was 2010 and things have changed a lot. For a start you would not be seen dressed this way, despite the ridiculous heat! And even though the island is tiny, you're more likely to drive than walk, even if you're only going around the corner. 

I wouldn't normally give this photo another thought, but something drew me in. Members of my family (the woman in the centre is another aunt, the man with the machete is my uncle and I just realised the woman beside him in the striped top is my mum!) sitting by the sea, eating fresh food out of weaved coconut baskets and just basking in the goodness of nature and the company of family and friends. Don't you just get the loveliest sense of community when you look at this? I just love the simplicity of life depicted in this picture. There are no phones. No gadgets to keep the kids entertained. Heck, they're not even using utensils.

I chose these photos because they illustrate almost perfectly how I view Wallisian culture, or at least how it used to be. How I wish it still was. Things have changed a lot over time and maybe that's why I liked these photos so much; because they've captured the essence of a place which has changed so drastically from what it used to be - paradise! 

I hope to someday return. I want my children to know this side of their ancestry. But maybe these photos are all I'll have to show them.

Wallis Island (Uvea)

Capital: Mata Utu
Population: Approx 15,200 +
Area: 264 km ²
Languages spoken:
    Primary: Native polynesian dialect
    Secondary: French

Why I shoot the Before & After

If you've had a photo session with me you will remember that before I started your hair and makeup, I took a 'Before' shot. I am writing this post to explain why I do it. Lately I've been feeling a little guilty for some reason - like I'm invading privacy - and feel I need to explain why it's done.

I shoot women from all walks of life: uni students, travellers, waitresses, teachers, full-time mums, etc. The B&A is a visual tool for me to illustrate that you don't have to be a six foot tall, size 8 glamazon to look and feel beautiful in photos because let's face it: we're not all blessed with those sorts of looks! But that doesn't mean it's out of reach for us everyday women. The B&A shows that, indeed, it's possible. It's accessible to every woman, regardless of her age, shape, size, race, etc. etc. etc. The gallery is there to encourage women who might not feel pretty enough or skinny enough or whatever enough, that IT DOESN'T MATTER. The experience is for everyone.

If you go to the Before & After gallery on my website you will see the first image is a quote from fellow photographer Jessica Lark. The reason I included this was because I felt it perfectly summed up why I do it and why those images are there. The B&A is by NO means a 'drab to fab' gallery. I am not a magician. I don't want people to think "oh, look at these ordinary women, but look at them after they've been with Jowita!" No. I want people to think "wow, Jowita really knows how to bring out and capture the true beauty in every woman." I love what Jessica says - that we use hair, makeup, good lighting and studio space to amplify your beauty. The 'After' is who you really are on your best day. It's the real you, polished and shining for the world to see.

I've met women who think they are covered in flaws and I just wish I could make them see with my eyes. There is beauty in every one of us. People are too busy loving you for who you are to care about your thighs or your nose or your 'bingo arms'. Your photo session is a celebration of you. Kick those insecurities out the door because you will walk away with portraits of yourself that you and your family will love and treasure forever. Your kids see their mum - the most beautiful woman in the universe! Your husband sees the woman he loves. Your parents see their daughter - their pride and joy. Love yourself today.

A B&A of yours truly! Luke's photography skills have improved! I felt so pretty and witty and bright that he took us out to a fancy restaurant after. (This is the red dress I referred to in a previous post. Finally got to shoot it. :)

Family portrait: history captured on paper

I've been in Sydney for nearly three weeks now. I visit occasionally because my family lives here. This visit was extra special though as my sister had another baby! A beautiful baby boy named Joseph. He is such a precious little bundle and his sisters love him to bits!

I'm staying at my Mum's house and she has bags of old photos and shelves full of albums. Every time I visit I find myself going through them as if seeing them for the first time. Even though I've gone through them a hundred times before, as I get older I see them differently. I understand more of the circumstances behind each photograph. I'm filled with joy at the memories and then a kind of sadness sets in. I can't really explain it. Nostalgia? Maybe I realise how old I'm getting and how far removed I am from my own childhood. I look at photos of my mother and she was such a beauty in her youth (still is!) and realise we are now the same age.

Maybe, more and more I'm seeing things for what they really are/were through the eyes of an adult; gone is the veil of youthful naivete. In some photos where we all look so happy and carefree, little did I know that this person was homeless, that person was sick, this person was abused, etc. I have photos with childhood friends and we're doing the kid thing, you know, jumping on trampolines, riding bikes, swimming at the beach, visiting the zoo. Some are married now with children of their own. Others have been in prison or fallen to substance abuse. Others who are successful and happy, or so I hope. It really gets me thinking and wondering and all sad. I can't really articulate why.

I was going through a few of them this evening with a friend. She was laughing at the gap I used to have between my two front teeth. Then she said that her family had about fifty photos total of her family. Fifty. And here I am with two full bags at my feet while I type. It reminded me how important photographs are. They capture a moment in time that will never happen again. I'll never again be that seven year old girl with a gap between her teeth. I'll probably never see some of those kids I used to play with. I'll never see certain relatives again as they've passed away.

1991 - Me (age 7) and my little brother (age 5)

With the neighbours' kids

So I come back to little baby Joseph. I have been hinting and hinting at my sister to have a family portrait done before I go back to Melbourne because Joseph is already getting bigger! I want to capture him now, with his doting teenage sisters by his side, before it's too late. Before we know it, he'll be the teenager and his sister's will have left home and we'll be saying "gee, if only we'd gotten that family portrait done all those years ago."

Bianca

(Read Bianca's thoughts on her photoshoot here.)

The last time I saw Bianca was nearly two years ago on the other side of the world. We were having coffee in one of London's largest shopping centres before I was to leave for a new job in Barcelona.

We met in 2009 at a school where we were both teachers, and when things didn't quite go to plan with our jobs, we decided to leave it all behind and give working overseas a try.

We shared a small apartment in a town east of London called Grays - a must see destination if you're ever in the area ;) I loved every minute of life in that quaint little town.

From London to the small seaside town of Portarlington, here we were catching up, in the middle of nowhere really, nearly two years later, having a laugh and reminiscing a life so long past and discussing the endless possibilities for the future (which hopefully involve going back to London!)

Bianca is a stunning young woman. She is of Indian and Irish descent and got the best of both worlds: a year round tan and amazing blue eyes. "I want to look and feel like a woman" she said to me, which confused me at first. How can you not look and feel like a woman? And I realised there was more to it than that. It was about being grown up.

I guess people everywhere, everyday, hide behind a veil of sorts. We create barriers to protect ourselves, or hide our true selves away. We do it for fear of judgement, amongst other things. (I am just as guilty of this, ask anyone!) So when I understood what Bianca was asking for, I thought yes! I am going to take photographs of who you really are, behind the funny faces etc. I'm going to capture the essence of you and who you are: a beautiful, young, grown up woman.

Here is just a small selection of my favourite images from our session. Zero fun was had that day, can you tell? ;)

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Miss T

Towards the end of last year I was inspired to create my own boudoir photography studio. I envisioned dark images with soft light to accentuate the curves of the female form. The inspiration came from a studio I contacted in London (www.fyeoportraits.com) when I was interested in having a shoot done myself. Their work is great and what I loved most about them is that they welcome women of all shapes, sizes and ages - and they look amazing. So I thought I'd give it a go! But when the time came to make a booking I decided to spend the money on travel instead.

Anyway as I've mentioned before I am loving natural light at the moment. I'm also loving faces (as opposed to boobs and bums). I've been focussing a lot on portraiture, particularly the connection in the eyes, facial expressions, big hair and makeup. It's creating an experience for women where they leave looking and feeling amazing. 

So last week I had the opportunity to practise some natural light boudoir with Miss T. I hadn't tried it yet (in natural light) and thought this would be a good way to see whether it's something I continue doing or not.

She arrived to the studio with a vast array of lingerie and corsets. We only shot the one outfit though as we also had a portrait session beforehand (see!?) and ran out of time. Here are some of my favourite images from the session. I envisioned 'Vogue' meets boudoir - I wanted to keep it classy (as always!) I am loving the bright backlit image.

Sandy

Another shoot from last weekend was with the lovely Sandy. Cheerful and bubbly and quick to laugh. You can tell by the smile in her eyes.

One thing I loved about this session was that she brought so many lovely clothes with her that she just never wears. 

You know, like that dress that doesn't quite fit but it's too good to throw away. 

Or that top that flatters your body so well but risks being too revealing. 

Or the fact you have three children under five and to wear nice clothes means having to clean nice clothes and it's easier to just not wear them in the first place. 

Or that beautiful dress you love but have never had a nice enough occasion to wear it to. I have a stunning red floor length dress that I bought in London. I've only ever worn it once - and that was to the Moulin Rouge in Paris. PARIS! Now that's hard to beat! When and where will I ever get a chance to wear that beautiful red dress again?? 

Well you know what? Those outfits you love but never wear? Bring them along to a shoot. Get dolled up with hair and makeup. Feel like a million dollars. Give that dress another chance to shine, then capture it in photos to keep forever. If I could step out of my body and photograph myself in that red dress, I would! *sigh*
A BIG thank you to Sandy for these photos. I loved working on them.

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Teagen

I am so in love with what I do!

This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting and shooting a young lady named Teagen, with Greek and Celtic ancestry and the most luscious head of hair you have ever seen. An aspiring art teacher, we found we had a few things in common (I'm an artist and a teacher!), including an appreciation for red hair and travel.

The shoot was awesome! Lighting was perfect (unlike my last shoot where it was such a cloudy day all my images came out very dark) and Teagen did a great job following direction. It's always funny when I ask my clients to pose in a really awkward way, but I always appreciate the trust between us that, despite the discomfort and awkwardness, it's all worth it in the end. 

There are a lot of black outfits in this shoot, which really brought out her fair skin, but she also brought a beautiful blue 'scarf' dress that had so much flow in it, I thought it would be perfect for a twirling sequence. I think we both felt a bit daggy shooting it, with me telling her to spin this way and that way and "laugh, we're laughing, haha" and her probably thinking "what on earth am I doing??" but I'm so happy with how they turned out. Her expression is genuine and the result is a series of images that I'm sure mum/the grandparents/future children will love. And hopefully she does too :)

I was telling Luke afterwards how strange it feels when my clients leave. I feel like, in the short time that we're together doing hair and makeup, we really open up about life and love and all sorts of personal things. Then we shoot, and then they're gone. I love that doing this gives me the opportunity to hear stories from women from all walks of life. It's a privilege to be offered a window into someone else's life story. But man it kinda leaves me feeling sad to see them leave!!

Anyway, thank you Teagen for these beautiful images and sharing your stories with me. You have an insight beyond your years and it was lovely to have met you!

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In the beginning...

I was going through some old photos and had a chuckle. My photography has evolved so much! Thank God! I look at where I was eight months ago and am amazed at the growth I've seen in myself in such a short time. I know I have a long way to go, but at least I can say, thankfully, that I am heading in the right direction. If I didn't believe it, I would quit right now.

I decided to get serious about photography in September last year. I had a studio set up in our spare room - black backdrop and a few soft boxes, with a white wall as an alternative to the black. I put up an ad online for anyone who might be interested in being my model. I had a good response!

Mary was the first to get in touch. She is pictured below. I can remember how nervous I felt preparing for this shoot. What if she hates my photos? What if it gets weird? What if she feels uncomfortable being shut away in a room and thinks I'm a pervert!!?? (Silly, I know, but it was my first time shooting a complete stranger and a HUGE privacy issue for me to overcome) I did not hesitate to tell her straight out: "I'm kinda packing my dacks right now." To which she laughed and replied, "Me too!"

So we shot away. I didn't know anything about directing, posing or general interaction with the client - nothing. Fortunately for me she was an aspiring model and did a bit of posing on her own. But the silence was so thick it was ridiculous. I just kept shooting. Mumbling and fumbling with equipment. I have about 10 pictures for each slight pose change resulting in 500 photos over three hours!! I laugh now... 500 photos of one person just standing there... Wow. It really didn't occur to me that I was allowed to tell her what to do and that, in fact, it was my obligation as the photographer to tell her how she would look her best in my photos. Didn't think of that.

I also want to make a point that just because someone has the newest fanciest equipment, doesn't automatically make them a better photographer. I am still using the same basic DSLR and lens. I have Photoshopped the images a tad, but even so, you can't change the fact that her elbow dominates in the first image. Her hair is all over her face. Elastic on her wrist? Her expression in the second photo is pretty lifeless and the catchlights cover her pupils. (These were some of my favourite photos!) All things I had control over but didn't change because I didn't know I could. Now I will tell you how I want you to look, right down to your fingers, THEN take the shot. It's good fun.

Well, we all have to start somewhere. I have learnt so much these past eight months and am so grateful to all the beautiful women who have offered their time for me to practise and learn, even through the awkward silences. Can't wait to see where I'll be a year from now.

Kirsten

Last week I had the opportunity to practise more natural light photography with the lovely Kirsten. Even after a big night out she looked radiant and ready for some serious shooting. She arrived with a BIG suitcase full of clothes, shoes and accessories, and if there were ever a contest of who's brought the most clothing to a shoot, she'd win hands down! We picked a variety of colours and styles and created the following images. She did an amazing job, even if she felt a bit strange at times with the posing ("More booty Kirsten!" ;). 

It was so overcast outside, which meant the light was well-diffused with very little need to soften it further. It also meant however that as it got later in the day, the images became darker. I refused to up my ISO because I absolutely hate noise and try to avoid it when I can. The result (especially in the black backdrop images) creates a moody scene where her eyes and face pop out of the image, framed by soft dark curls.

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I was also very pleased to trial Alienskin-Exposure 4 with Kirsten's photos. All the pictures in this post have been modified using Exposure 4. It's a very cool plugin if you're after actions that mimic real film, from vintage film to light leaks to dark room effects. I personally love the vintage black and white films, they are amazing. There are dozens of presets, each of which can be modified, and even further so by adjusting layer opacity in Photoshop. You can trial it for 15 days so give it a try. I'm thinking of buying and seeing how my photos of Europe turn out :)

Left: Kodak Ektar 100 Holga 120 Right: Agfacolor Neu Dust & Scratches

Mother's Day

I love boudoir, but these past few weeks I have been busy learning about different styles and techniques to apply in my studio. In particular, natural light glamour portraiture. Now, when most people hear the words 'glamour photography' they think of this:

Epic. Although I wouldn't mind knowing how to get such big hair.

But some may be surprised to know it has evolved over the years. One woman in particular has completely revolutionised this particular genre: Sue Bryce. This woman is an absolute inspiration, not only to photographers but to anyone thinking of starting a business. She does more than address business, marketing, advertising, technique, ideas ideas and more ideas in her workshops, but also the personal obstacles holding anyone back from valuing themselves and just getting out there and getting started. She has become a household name (at least in this household). Luke has probably heard her name mentioned more than members of my own family (who I love xxxxooxx!!!!)

I have recently completed a 28 day challenge with Sue and will discuss more in a future post, because there is waaaay too much to go over in this little post, and seriously she has completely changed my whole mindset. So for now, rather than talk about it, I will show you my latest work, after watching 28 Days with Sue Bryce. (Be kind I'm still learning :)

So I needed someone to apply all this newfound knowledge on. And as much as I love practising on Luke, he wasn't all that keen on getting dolled up for a glamour shoot.

So that's when I heard from Teagan! I had the pleasure of meeting and shooting her the day before Mother's Day. Being a mother herself, it was a lovely way to celebrate motherhood and for her to take a little break, have her hair and makeup done and get photographed. Like a lot of mothers, she's not one to indulge or pamper herself often. This is normal when a mother puts her family first. She often comes last. And a photo shoot is probably out of the question when there are mouths to feed, bills to pay and a hundred other things to do. So I really enjoyed offering something a little different to this beautiful woman: an opportunity for a hard-working mum to feel a little bit glamorous for a day, and photos to treasure forever.

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