Feature Friday with the Fabulous Mickie DeVries of Fresh Modern Photography!!

Let's get to know this week's Feature Friday, the fantabulous Mickie DeVries of Fresh Modern Photography!!

1. Please tell us about yourself...

I'm a stay at home mother  with a passion for photography!  My children don't necessarily share this passion, but I'm sure they will be happy someday that I have captured the stories of their youth!  I live in West Olive, Michigan near the Lake Michigan shoreline with my husband and two children.  I'm content as a hobbyist, and have no intentions of pursuing this as a business.

2. Can you describe your style in 3 words? Why those words?

Emotional, Storytelling, Childhood.  In 2012 I took a class Finding my Style at Clickin Mom's.  In this class we were asked to think of three words we wanted our images to say.  These were the words I chose, and these are all elements that I try to incorporate into my work.  I want to capture childhood through storytelling, with all the emotions that come with it, from a mother's perspective, and from my children's perspective.

3. What sparked your passion for photography?

Definitely my children.  From the moment my son was born I felt this intense need to document as much as I could.  Life seems to speed up 100 miles an hour after having children , and I want to preserve all these memories!  It wasn't until the birth of my daughter in 2008, that I decided to get my first dslr.  From that time forth I have tried to educated myself on photography as much as possible.

4. What's in your camera bag right now?

I shoot with a D700 and mostly prime lenses.  I have the Nikkor 24-70, Nikkor 105, Nikkor 85 f/1.4 g, Sigma 35 f/1.4, Nikkor 50 f/1.4d, and the lensbaby composer with the sweet 35 and edge 80. Primarily I shoot with the 35 or 85.

5. What is your dream shoot or project?

Right now I think I would like to explore long exposures more.  I did a few ghostly photos in the fall using long exposures, and creatively it was very exciting to me.  I'm not exactly sure what the project  looks like yet, but it's definitely something I been mulling over recently.

6. What are some of the misconceptions you had about photography and photographers at the beginning of your photography journey? Have they changed, and how?

I think the biggest misconception I had before picking up my camera, and even in my first few years with my dslr, is that it would be easier.  There is so much to learn in the world of photography.  The technical knowledge is so important to have, and I tried to sidestep some of these skills because I just wanted to edit creatively.  Knowing the technical aspects of photography helps enormously to get the creative photos that I envision ahead of time.  Photography is not easy, but it is worth the investment! 

7. What advice would you give to newbie photographers? What advice do you wish you'd been given at the very beginning?

I have been recently exploring this very topic with my upcoming breakout session for Clickin Mom's on March 25th.  In the breakout I go in-depth on my photography journey, and what I have learned along the way, but in general I think the best advice is to start at the beginning.  I mentioned it in the previous answer, but again I tried to skip steps.  This really set me back in progressing.  I see amazing photographers that produce stunning work only a year after first picking up their dslr.  This was not my experience.  I thought I knew much more than I did, and wasted a lot of time being frustrated with my work because I was missing key knowledge.  When I started concentrating on the basics first, I finally started producing the types of images I had envisioned.

To see more of Mickie's stunning work, please head on over to her Facebook page and website!!