The winner of last week's 'simplicity' challenge is the talented Amy Nowak of Amy Nowak Photography, and she has graciously shared a peek into her life.
1. Please tell us about yourself...
I am a wife to a very supportive and patient husband and mom
to three kids- two boys and a girl. We recently moved from Virginia to a quaint little area in New
England . I love spending time with my family, whether
it is hiking, taking in the sights, or watching my boys in the water at a swim
meet. I start every day with one cup of coffee and always make
my bed in the morning. I’ve always been a perfectionist, but I
am trying very hard to let go of that. I love to cook and bake, but I must
admit that both have taken a backseat since I began being more serious about
photography. People are fascinating to me, and I could people watch for hours
if I had the time. I absolutely love to travel and have been lucky
to have had the opportunity to see all different parts of this world. I
still have so much I want to see when I win the lottery!
2. Can you describe your style in 3
words? Why those words?
Childhood, Timeless, and Connections…
I really love to capture the essence of childhood by using
light and connections
in my images. I am a huge fan of black and white, and I love that those images
have a timeless feel to them. I strive to capture the beauty of the
everyday life of my children. It’s the “in the moment” images- the ones that
clearly are unposed and actually freezing life as it is happening- that really
make my heart happy. These are the images that I know future
generations will treasure.
3. What sparked your passion for
photography?
I wish I could say that having my first child sparked my
interest in photography. Oh what I would give to be able to go back
and take beautiful photographs when all of my children were babies. The
truth is that the years of infants and toddlers were exhausting, and I was
never in a place where I felt- Oh I am going to learn photography right
now. I’m the type of person who can only focus on one big thing at a
time if I want to do a really good job at it.
It was about 4 years ago that I purchased a Canon Rebel for
a cruise we took to Alaska . At
that point, I became passionate about taking pictures. I continued
to stay on automatic mode with my Rebel for two years, but became
frustrated. I knew I had the artistic eye for it, but my pictures
were not turning out the way I wanted them to. I wanted to learn
more. I signed up for a DSLR Beginner’s class, and I began to learn
my camera inside and out. It has changed everything for me.
4. What's in your camera bag right
now?
I’m pretty simple. In my camera bag right now is
my Canon 6D and two lenses. I have a 35 mm lens and a 135 L
lens. I use them both equally as much and love them for different
reasons. I also have an 85 mm 1.8 that I don’t use nearly
enough. Sadly it is never in my bag, but on the rare occasion that I
put it on my camera, I am always amazed at the images it produces. I
can’t part with it. I carry an extra card, some lip balm, tic tacs
and of course some candy for times when my 5 year old may not want to
cooperate.
5. What is your dream shoot or
project?
I am a hobbyist for now, and I have to say that I have
failed at most projects that I have tried. I am involved in several
collaboratives with some pretty amazing women, and I do keep up with my
submissions, but my 365 didn’t pan out the way I wanted it to. I am
hoping to do something less intense in 2015. I do shoot almost every day, but I
don’t beat myself up if I don’t. My dream shoot would be a
military homecoming. I would love to document this amazing
experience for military families. The emotions, connections, and
true spirit that exists on a homecoming day is a photographer’s dream. Of
course, if it happens during the golden hour, then that would just be the icing
on the cake.
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 use to think that as long as I had a fancy camera, I could
take fancy pictures. I couldn’t have been more wrong. There
is always something to learn, and that is what I love about it. The
learning is never over. The camera is just the tool that the photographer
uses to take the image. The photographer is truly the one that works
the magic. You have to know how to manipulate light, settings,
composition, as well as connect with your subject. None of these
things are easy. It truly is an art.
7. What advice would you give to newbie photographers? What
advice do you wish you'd been given at the very beginning?
Stay true to yourself. Listen to your own voice and know
that if you are creating images you love, others will too. Shoot
what you love and what makes you happy. Self doubt will always be
there, and it is part of the creative process. There are always
others feeling the exact same way that you are feeling. It’s
normal. And when you think you will never get “there”, I assure you
that you will. Just keep shooting! Get rid of noise and
surround yourself with the positive people because the support in this
community will help you in so many ways. Join a forum, a
collaborative, and take classes. Amazing things can happen!
I wish I had known that there is not a cookie-cutter,
perfect image checklist. When I first started out, I threw out so
many images because the skin tones looked off, the white balance was wrong, or
everything in the image was not super sharp and focused. Now I
know the so-called “rules”, but I also know that it is very much okay to not
always follow those.
***I’m sharing one of those images that I had originally
wanted to throw out. The photo of my three kids on the bed together is full of
imperfections- not perfectly focused and a serious foot chop. Now
when I see it, it is one of my favorite images of the three of them.
Find more of Amy's beautiful work here:
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